Man Stabbed in Violent Seward Park Area Street Robbery

The victim was walking a friend’s dog when this happened, and not a tiny one either. Things are definitely getting out of control here in the South End. Where the heck is McSchwinn?

@1 Did the victim know the suspect? This is very troubling – 2 blocks from PCC!

Tom T, Suspect would appear (I say appear, since I had to use jail booking records that most closely approximated the time of the crime and the charges) to be a 20 or 21 year old male, with four prior charges for Misdemeanor Theft (no prior felonies). The suspect description and the victim description would appear to make them people from different circles in life.

That is a very sketchy read on very scant info.

The guy was booked for Investigation of Assault and Investigation of Robbery. Since the Court will combine it into one trial, and run any sentences concurently, the Prosecutor will likely charge one or the other (i.e. whichever has the longer sentence and has the easiest elements to prove). They also will, if they follow their policy, offer the middle of the sentence range (this will be a first-time offense, with some very limited bump up in sentencing range for the Misdemeanor Theft on this guys record, which will move the potential sentence down to under five years) in exchange for a plea. The Judge could go to the top of the sentence range (which is not 15-years in spite of the “A” Felony, but is based on a matrix of the offenders prior history, which is negligible) , in spite of any plea deal. To go beyond the Matrix, Prosecutor, with the concurence of the Judge, or the Judge would have to empanel a seperate jury and get them to concurr in going outside the range. RARE!

We will see this guy again in 2 to 5, at which point, the cops will be back to playing the cops and robbers game where the bad guys pretend they aren’t bad, the cops chase and detain them over and over, and they stay on the street until they do something even more horrific than randomly robbing someone and stabbing them repeatedly with a kitchen knife.

By state policy, he must be released back into the county in which the crime occurred (thats a safeguard for rural counties not to get our problems with crime dumped on them).

The RVP, should start a tickeller for these guys when they are released, and publish a photo as of release, so we all know who to look for and watch.

Horrific crime. Disturbing trend in our neighborhood. I’m surprised we haven’t seen more crime along the Columbia City and Seward Park commercial corridors, though. Maybe folks getting stabbed on the way out of yoga or PCC or a cute barbershop for kids will gain more traction with the press and city hall? Black kids getting shot certainly doesn’t seem to these days.

I checked King County Jail Records and looked for someone booked into King County Jail (not Kent) after 2:00 p.m. on 1/24/2011 (you can search all bookings for the last 24 hours and sort by book date, which puts them in time order). I looked for a booking that was for Investigation of Robbery or Investigation of Assault. Assuming the arrest occured close to 2 p.m., they stopped at the S. Precinct to interview the guy, investigate him and his background, etc. he/she should have been booked into KCJ by late afternoon or early evening.

Having found one, and only one, booking that matched the criteria above, I then had a name. I checked the name against Seattle Municipal Court Records (that gets you misdemeanors) and found someone, about 22-years of age (which matched the data in the story). I also checked the name against King County Superior Court Records (which gets you felonies) and drew a blank.

The info on what the King County Prosecutor will likely charge and the likely incarceration period is based on similar expereince neighbors have had and discussions with Prosecutors about those cases and what their policies are. Finally, I have done the “brain damage” of reading the RCW 9A descriptions of the relevant crimes, their max sentences for the crimes (which is not very relevant), and the Uniform Sentencing RCW, which establishes a matrix, based on the number, severity, etc. of prior convictions as a basis for adopting a very tight (and shorter than the max) sentencing range avaiable to the judge.

Combine that with the known misdemeanor criminal history (4 Thefts or so) from the Municipal Court Search, the zero in prior felony category, and the procedural hoops and additional requirements to go outside of the legislatively mandated range for someone convicted of this crime, with this minimal history, and 2 to 5 years seems very probable to me.

Clear as mud? Now you know why police and prosecutors are sooo cranky and short with people. Look at the brain damage these professionals have to do, everyday, to make the system imposed by the Legislature, Supreme Court Precedent, and Common Law work!

Cripes. Law-enforcement authorities warn us that it’s dangerous to walk to and from at the link light rail stations between “1 pm and midnight” (according to the Seattle Police Department and Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council) because gang bangers are stalking people who use light rail. Crime convey that it’s dangerous to walk in the parking lots of our local supermarkets because of purse-snatching teens. Now we read that dangerous to walk in our neighborhoods because of perpetrators wielding butcher knives.

Is there a point when the Seattle Police Department (SPD) will tell us that it’s too bloody dangerous to live, work and shop in southeast Seattle? The south precinct reluctantly acknowledges an increase of street robberies in the Rainier Valley, but nobody – not the SPD, mayor’s office or the city council (which boasts two people who claim southeast Seattle as their homes) – is undertaking significant steps to correct this situation. Instead, the SPD admonishes people with pithy safety tips (don’t walk alone at night, don’t walk with iPod buds in your ears) that imply that those who are attacked, assaulted, etc. are complicit in what took place.

What will it take for somebody in charge to do something to make the Rainier Valley safer? Are we are our own because the city has written the area off because it’s too hot to handle? Or is the Rainier Valley becoming some kind of “Deadwood” where people pack heat and take matters into their own hands? I hope not, but we’re running out of alternatives.

Hi ….
Afraid. So am I. I didn’t walk.. dog.. yesterday or today and for both of our stress levels I NEED to walk him. I am thinking about a good 3 ft galvanized pipe. Too long of a weapon and it can be taken, but a short darn hard extension of the hand, maybe that would work. And I HATE that I have to be thinking these things.
What if,?, someone that can write very well (not volunteering you) could somehow with the backing of our SE community could get a once weekly column in the Times about the facts of living here? A pow-wow meeting with fellow RVPers forming a decision on how to proceed and what to hit hard on and then let’s do it. You are an exceptional writer, Amber C has some creds with the Times and I believe there are others on the blog with great writing potential. The columnist, is it ****?, lives in Columbia City. I think he sends his kids to private schools and does not write a thing about our lives here, so not him.
When our neighborhood had to come together to get a gang house gone Sally Clark was silent. After a long battle we did win with that one but –
RVP: What do you think? A column in the Times would let the “other” Seattle know how badly we need help.
The above is a name deleted bit of dialogue between RVPers. But with th Times (how can they not love the blood and violence?) would it not possibly help? We form the dialogue and get the real message out. Just an idea.

It is sad that the City Council doesn’t seem to care, and of course the Mayor doesn’t (as long as we are walking, biking or riding to our doom).

By “my youth” I meant early adulthood – I had a very scary encounter with a very disturbed person while walking home from work when I was 21 (for the record, it was in 1978, a very long time before Oprah!). It made me think very hard about what steps I needed to take to feel safe, and ultimately I decided that things like how and where I walked were the answer and not packin’.

I know you don’t know me, but if you did you’d realize how funny it is that you would suggest that I’m echoing someone else’s ideology. My son was assaulted on his way home from school a couple of years ago, though, and my opinion hasn’t changed. If I’d had a gun in my person back in 1978 it wouldn’t have helped me, and may have been used against me. And I shudder to think about my then 17 year-old running around with a pistol!

Something has to be done, though, that’s for sure.

The deputy mayor lives in Columbia city. Why not ask him for help?

I think Chris is on to something. We are going to have to make noise as a group—a large group. And the group very much needs to represent the racial and socio-economic diversity of our wonderful neighborhood. But the big question is “Would the Times run such a column/letter?”
I think I will try and enlist someone more alternative who lives in the neighborhood (a well-known blogger and writer for The Stranger) to see if perhaps he might have some pull. How could we get a petition to the city going to protest the lack of police presence?

@SolvayGirl, Let us here on the RVP know how to help make it happen.
@Tom T YES – a big billboard. I got $5. to help with start up:-)

Just got his in an email—looks like the Lakewood Neighborhood is making noise:

In light of very recent, violent events surrounding the Lakewood Playfield and Community Club, the Lakewood Seward Park Community Club is partnering with the Southeast Seattle Crime Prevention Council in hosting a Public Safety Meeting on Monday, February 6th at 7:00 p.m. at the Clubhouse on 50th and Angeline. South Precinct Captain Mike Nolan and other officers from the South Precinct have committed to being there. I invited Seattle City Councilmember Bruce Harrell to attend, as he is chair of Public Safety. He has requested Chief of Police John Diaz and his command sta ff to attend as well. (They are not confirmed.)
I would love to see Standing Room Only at this event. We need to show how concerned we are about these recent events and the increase of all types of crime in the South End. This is a very disturbing and troubling trend that needs to stop. We need to feel safe in our neighborhood. We need to find out why this is happening, and figure out ways to work together to end it.
Please spread the word to your neighbors and block watch groups who may not be on one of these lists.

I have been actively emailing our elected officials and encourage all of you to do the same. I know that they aren’t paying attention, but it is one of the few things that I can do to make this all seem less out of control.

This is the page that has all the contact info for all the city council members. I have heard back from two of them, and a staffer for a third. Most of the time I am told this is a police matter or a matter for Council Member Harrell.

http://www.seattle.gov/council/councilcontact.htm

I agree with standing room only on the 6th.

I just moved to the Lakewood Seward Park area about 1.5 months ago and our home was recently burglarized. I have never been robbed and I have lived in the city since 2003. Luckily, noone was home. But what a welcome to the neighborhood. Now, the stabbing 4 blocks away. The shooting at Subway, right by my work; the attack on the 58 year old woman in broad daylight at Safeway, again right by my work; and right now, an assualt with weapons response is occuring over in the Safeway parking lot– chopper is out, SPD, crime tape, and fire trucks.

I love this area for so many reasons, I don’t want to feel afraid or have terrible things happen to my community members. This is our community. But I am. I walk my dog alone. I go to that Safeway. I go to the PCC. I voice the same concern you are all voicing- we are afraid and saddened by the violence we are seeing.

I agree that we need to take action. Unified action. We need to let our leadership know that this is unacceptable and we want something different. Something better for our families and our communities. We cannot be bullied and living in fear. We have to take a stand, together, to make a difference. To make our voices heard. Not just our complaints, but our desires for a safe and strong community. Solutions.

I will be at the community meeting and I will tell everyone I know to be there as well- friends, business owners, colleagues- tell everyone you can. Standing room only. This should be the first of many meetings. The Times article sounds like an excellent idea too- let’s make it happen.

@Nick: I would ask, “Are you kidding?”, but I know better than to ask a rhetorical question. The Seattle Council members are predictably passing the buck to Bruce Harrell, the chairman of the Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee. But Harrell, who lives in Seward Park, is contemplating a congressional campaign to unseat Adam Smith for the newly created, so-called “majority minority district”. Sally Clark, the new council president lives in southeast Seattle and articulates creating strong neighborhoods (perhaps more street trucks in strong, fashionable neighborhoods?). But Clark is contemplating a run for the mayor’s office. Councilman Tim Burgess, who talked tough when he chaired the Public Safety, Civil Rights, and Technology Committee, has another committee to run. And now he has a mayoral campaign to plot. Mayor Mike McGinn makes only annual appearances in the Rainier Valley and exhibits more interest in bike lanes. The Seattle Police Department is prepping for a beat-down from the Department of Justice.

Is there any doubt why the Rainier Valley is absolutely hosed? I’d be willing to wager that if thugs were mugging, assaulting, stabbing, shooting and killing Am-holes in South Lake Union that City Hall and the SPD would intervene.

RealRVGirl: Some of us who work in SLU are raising families here in Southeast Seattle and are also deeply concerned about the violence. I see the point you’re trying to make, and agree, but don’t see the need for the gratuitous derision.

RRVG, I thought your post was spot-on (once again). I must respectfully disagree with JvA, and say that I think derision is absolutely appropriate in this case since it’s based on a realistic evaluation. What bothers me is talk of leaving (as the late, great Gil Scott-Heron said, “But where will you go? There IS nowhere else to go – this is all there is! Bwahaahaa.”). If the country doesn’t change course this stuff is going to spread.

Well, looks like some people did get shot in SLU: http://today.seattletimes.com/2012/01/three-shot-at-south-lake-union-nightclub/

@Sarah: Sorry, I didn’t express myself very well. I know you weren’t talking about leaving – others were, and I was mixing messages. And I agree with everything you’ve said about loving where we live but wishing things weren’t getting scary…