RAINIER BEACH - Rainier Beach residents reported to 911 between six and eight shots fired at approximately 10:14 p.m. on March 29. The first call to 911 arrived at approximately 10:16, by this reporter.
"I would like to report multiple gunshots fired in the neighborhood around Lake Washington Apartments," I reported to the 911 dispatcher.
While I was still on the phone and in the process of grabbing my camera, voice recorder and heading out the door, I heard the start of the responding sirens.
"We are responding to that shooting," said the dispatcher who had just spoke with an officer.
Arriving at the corner of Rainier Avenue South and Seward Park Avenue South by 10:20, I witnessed two police cars already blocking the road.
Driving around the corner to see what was going on, I discovered all road access to the scene from Rainier Avenue South north to Cloverdale Street, east to Seward Park Avenue South and back down to Rainier Avenue South blocked by one or more police cars, which created a search perimeter of approximately 1.5 miles.
AT THE SCENE
The Seattle Police Department responded with officers from multiple precincts, their K-9 unit, and their Gang Unit detectives. They even called in the King County Sheriff's helicopter unit, Guardian One, to search the surrounding area for a suspect that sources on the scene said may have been fleeing on foot.
The shooting occurred at the end of South Fisher Place, the street between the back of Safeway and the Jack-in-the-Box restaurant in Rainier Beach. Being a dead-end street and late in the evening, there were few bystanders.
A witness to the incident, who wishes to remain anonymous, said he heard the shots, and looked out the front window of his Barton Place apartment. He noticed a white, mid-1980s to early '90s minivan (possibly a Chevrolet), with some damage to the passenger-side quarter-panel speed away from South Fisher Place.
It turned north on Rainier Avenue South with its headlights turned off. Whether or not the vehicle contained the suspect is currently being investigated.
According to homicide Lt. R.J. Wilson, "Officers were in the area looking for somebody else from a separate incident. They were leaving after a casual contact with other persons about this person of interest when they, themselves, heard the shots ring out. They immediately took cover, and when the shots were over, investigated and witnessed a person running away from the area in which they had just been."
Wilson went on to say that the four officers - which were conducting a plain-clothes patrol for the Gang Unit - were not absolutely sure if the person running away was the person who fired the shots or if he was running from the gunshots as well.
However, according to the official Seattle Police Department's incident report, filed by Officer T. A. Umporowicz, "As the officers were leaving the area, a black male suspect, seen in the area with a small pit bull dog... started firing at the officers in their vehicle with a handgun."
The report goes on to say that the suspect was wearing a dark, hooded sweatshirt and gaucho shorts.
While none of the undercover officers were injured in the shooting, officers on the scene suspected that the officers themselves were the targets. During the investigation a partial bullet fragment was found approximately 3-feet from the back bumper of the black, unmarked, four-door Chevrolet driven by the undercover officers. At this time, it is unclear if the bullet came from the gun fired or was from another incident.
The pit bull was captured, unharmed, in the Mapes Creek walkway and is currently being held at the Seattle Humane Society. Before Animal Control officers took it away, police removed its collar for inspection, hoping the dog's I.D. collar could be used to find its owner.
But according to Seattle Police Department's West Precinct desk officer, the man who lived at the address on the collar indicated that his dog had been stolen just the day before.
The person suspected to be the shooter was seen running into the Lake Washington Apartments and still remains at large as of press time.
"We do know the identity of this subject and are searching for him at this time," asserted the West Precinct desk officer.
Officers at the scene urged anyone with information about the incident, or the suspect involved, to call 911 or (206) 684-8917.
Dawn Trybjorn may be reached via editor@sdistrictjournal.com.[[In-content Ad]]
