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KOMO – Eric’s Heroes: A gift for a police dog enthusiast

July 7, 2022

SEATTLE — Much of Chris Christman’s career, what he has learned and taught, and what he has cared about, was a prelude to a symbolic journey.

This is the story of that journey.

Officer Christman has been a police officer for 27 years. Much of it was spent on the street. These days, part of his duties include teaching classes about how law enforcement should best recognize and handle people who are dealing with what we now call Autism Spectrum Disorder.

He teaches the classes all over the country, and at the beginning of each one, he shows a heartbreaking video. In it, a young man in Arizona named Connor Leibol is approached by a member of the Buckeye Police Department.

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Confusion Over Police Reform Law Continues as Recent Response Call in Kent Shows

September 2, 2021

KENT, Wash. — Confusion over the new statewide police reform laws has prompted urgent meetings between state lawmakers, police chiefs and sheriffs, including one set for Wednesday evening in King County.

Police in Kent recently had a situation with a suicidal man who ended up taking his own life.

Some of the officers thought they couldn’t respond physically to the address in case he shot himself because of the new laws.

On the officers’ bodycam video, one officer could be heard saying, “A shame they put new laws in place. We could have helped him.”

But Kent Police Chief Rafael Padilla says it wasn’t because of the new laws.

“Our response before the new laws came out July 25 (was) we would not have gone up to the front door and knocked on it,” he said. “So, I want to make it clear the new laws weren’t a direct result of us not responding.

“So, what I think you were seeing there were some raw emotions of officers had literally just went in there and we’re doing lifesaving CPR,” Padilla said. “What I think what you saw was a moment of frustration, not specific to just that situation, but the overall feeling in law enforcement right now where they’re not sure they are really going to be supported for doing the things that they think they should do to protect the community that’s what I think you saw on that.”

Three Shootings in One Day Highlight Seattle’s Gun Violence Problem

September 1, 2021

SEATTLE — Seattle’s gun violence surge continues to grow with three shootings in one day.
A 20-year-old man was shot in Pioneer Square Tuesday night.

In GreenLake, a woman was robbed and shot in broad daylight hours earlier.

The shootings happened just hours after the city’s interim police chief spoke out about the alarming spike in violence.

Before that, Seattle Police said a man shot and killed another man who tried to rob him on Capitol Hill early Tuesday morning.

In broad daylight, in the middle of a quiet Greenlake neighborhood full of children—police say a 58-year-old woman was robbed at gunpoint and shot in the stomach on the sidewalk along 65th street.
Some neighbors heard the shots and others ran to help her as she cried out.

“I was shocked it happened you know ten feet away from my house,” said concerned neighbor Kyle Duggan.

“It feels like gun violence is kind of just getting worse and worse and it’s spooky because there’s a school right down the street, there’s an elementary school a block away and that’s really scary,” said concerned neighbor Sarah Gilwit.

The shooter got away.

The Assault on Seattle’s Police

August 31, 2021

A federal monitor lists the damage from the progressive purge.

SEATTLE – Across urban America the evidence is piling up that when you demonize police and cut their budget, you get more crime. The latest example is Seattle, where slashing the police budget has imperiled reform and endangered poor and minority communities.

Federal Judge James Robart oversees a longstanding police-reform consent decree between the Department of Justice and city of Seattle. Last week his court released video footage of a hearing this month in which monitor Antonio Oftelie lists Seattle’s political impediments to protecting public safety.

The City Council cut the 2021 police budget by nearly $35.6 million, or about 9%, compared to 2019. Councilor Kshama Sawant claimed “the role of the police under capitalism” is “to defend the system’s deep inequality through ongoing repression of the poor, the marginalized, and communities of color.” Other councilors signed a pledge to address “the on-going assault on Black lives perpetuated by a well-funded police state that acts with near impunity.”

Seattle PD low on officers as gun violence spikes

July 27, 2021

SEATTLE — Following a deadly weekend of shootings in Seattle and an overall increase in gun violence, police are altering officer schedules to try and cover the gaps as they struggle to meet demand.
“Seattle saw one of the worst late night, early mornings of violence in recent memory,” said Seattle City Mayor Jenny Durkan.
These somber words opened a Monday afternoon news conference with Durkan and Seattle Police Department (SPD).

“Mothers lost their children. Families lost their fathers. People lost their friends. Our communities were shaken in a series of avoidable gun violence incidents,” Durkan continued.
Over the weekend, Seattle saw a series of unrelated shootings across the city that claimed the lives of five and injured nine others.

Drive-by Shootings up 100%; Shootings at 5 yr. High in King County

July 23, 2021

SEATTLE — We’ve felt the uptick in gun violence, but now new numbers show the true severity of that surge. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s latest report on shootings in the county released on Thursday says 197 people have been shot so far this year – up 61% over the past four-year average.

“What we’re seeing right now is a very disturbing trend. It doesn’t show any signs of slowing down – often one act of gun violence will provoke another will provoke another,” said Dan Satterberg, the King County Prosecuting Attorney.

The 197 shooting victims marks the highest number of victims for this time of the year (through the 2nd quarter), since the prosecuting attorney’s office started keeping close records of gun violence data in 2017.

Customer Shoots Employee After Argument About Prices

July 22, 2021

SEATTLE — A customer shot an employee at a convenience store after a dispute about the cost of items late Tuesday night.

Just before 11 p.m., a customer walked into the store on the 600 block of First Avenue and brought several items up to the cashier.
As the employee rang up the items, the customer became irritated about the cost.

According to Seattle police, the employee told the customer if he didn’t like the prices he could leave.
The employee armed himself with a baseball bat as the customer tried to punch him.
As the customer started to walk out of the store, he reportedly pulled out a gun, shot the employee and fled.

I-90 Debris Throwers Strike Again

July 20, 2021

SEATTLE – The rock throwers have struck again along Seattle freeways. There were two more cases targeting drivers on I-90 and the I-5 ramp to I-90 in Seattle on Monday night. A KOMO News crew was there after one of the drivers pulled over with a damaged windshield along I-90 at Rainier Avenue. It’s the same area where four cars were hit Sunday afternoon.

The number of these dangerous and potentially deadly crimes are climbing by the day. At least two of the men arrested are connected to a nearby homeless encampment that neighbors have been complaining about for months. READ MORE: https://komonews.com/news/local/all-i-saw-was-a-huge-rock-in-front-of-my-face-i-90-debris-throwers-strike-again

Victim reacts after axe-wielding suspect seen breaking into apartment is freed with no charges

July 7, 2021

SEATTLE — A 46-year-old man was arrested for breaking into an occupied Capitol Hill apartment armed with an axe, a hatchet and a spiked glove was released from jail without charges Monday — after state case workers concluded he is incompetent and unable to defend himself in court.

Stanley Dion Red, 46, who has a long criminal history, and a history of treatment for mental illnesses, was captured on video climbing onto the balcony of a Capitol Hill apartment complex on June 17th. According to Henry Stelter, the tenant who was working from home at the time, Red entered the apartment and directly approached him.

“I went back, and I grabbed my pistol,” Stelter told KIRO-7 News. “At that point he’d seen me, and he started walking down the hallway towards me and he started reaching for the axe on his back. He also had a glove that had a metal spike sticking out the front of it.” READ MORE: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/victim-reacts-after-axe-wielding-suspect-seen-breaking-into-apartment-is-freed-with-no-charges/CWGBCFPTJJA7VC4Q6MVQUXLHWU/

Four people shot, one fatally, near Seattle’s Alki Beach

June 29, 2021

SEATTLE — One man was killed, and three other people were hurt in a shooting near Alki Beach Monday night.

Seattle police arrived just outside Spud Fish & Chips on Alki Avenue Southwest shortly before midnight and found three men and one woman with gunshot wounds. A citizen was performing CPR on a man when officers arrived. Police took over, trying to save the man, but he died at the scene. Two of the other victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center.

Police said the shooting stemmed from an argument between two groups of people who did not know one another. “There were two groups in an argument, and from that argument there were multiple shots that were fired,” Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said.

Police are looking for a suspect. READ MORE: https://www.kiro7.com/news/local/four-people-shot-one-fatally-near-seattles-alki-beach/6BAGJFS775GVJCJD7CULOKFA3M/