The officer got out of his car and approached the group.  A man muttered, “cops” as the officer approached.  The people congregated there began to scatter.  The individual that the officer suspected of being the “dealer” walked away.  The officer identified himself and ordered this man to stop.  Instead of obeying, he broke out into a full a sprint down 2nd Avenue.  The officer gave chase and during the pursuit, saw the suspect throw a plastic bag over his head onto an awning. 

The suspect attempted to flee into the bus tunnel but he was ultimately apprehended.  The plastic bag was recovered.  It contained approximately 50 grams of suspected crack cocaine.  The crack cocaine was field tested (it tested positive) and placed into Evidence.  The suspect had $242, which was also seized and placed into Evidence.  The 18 year old suspect was booked into King County Jail for the narcotics violation.

50 grams of suspected crack cocaine

With the theme, “Heroes Among Us”, the gala paid a fitting tribute to the men and women of the Seattle Police Department who protect our city every day and night.  Joining me at the event were Officers Joe Cepeda and Ryan Gallagher of Seattle Police Pipes and Drums, Detective Kim Bogucki of the “If Project”, Sergeant Kevin Grossman, Hostage Negotiator and Professional Standards supervisor and Sergeant Sean Whitcomb of Public Affairs.  They are just a select few of the heroes that have dedicated themselves to a career of public service – our department consists of hundreds of men and women just like them.  In fact, a number of department members – sworn and civilian, uniformed and plain-clothes – volunteered their time to attend this amazing event to ensure its success.

This event would not have been possible without the tireless effort of the members of the Seattle Hotel Association and Seattle Hotel Association President Howard Cohen.  I cannot begin to express the immense gratitude that I have for Howard, his board and those that worked closely with them to support their efforts. 

For the Seattle Police Foundation to have been selected as a beneficiary of the Seattle Hotel Association’s “Evening of Hope” fundraiser is truly an honor.  It is a great benefit to the Seattle Police Department and the communities that we serve.  Since 2002, the Seattle Police Foundation has raised more than five million dollars.  That money has been invested in community partnerships, employee development and specialized equipment and technology for our officers.  Many of you probably aren’t aware that department units like SWAT, CSI, Victim Support Team, K-9, and Patrol Operations are regular recipients of bi-annual grants funded by the Seattle Police Foundation.  Our Picnic in the Precinct program wouldn’t be possible without the Foundation and let’s not forget the horses!  In 2011, the Seattle Police Foundation stepped in to conduct a fundraising campaign to preserve our historic Mounted Patrol Unit, some of the most visible and beloved members of our department.

The work behind this year’s Evening of Hope has clearly been rewarded.  The Seattle Hotel Association successfully raised over $400,000.  Clearly, there is no shortage of generosity and goodwill in our community! 

As Chief of Police and on behalf of the men and women of the Seattle Police Department, I would like to offer my heartfelt thanks to those who sponsored the event, those that made the auction items possible and also those who purchased them!  Once more, special thanks to Howard Cohen and the members of the Seattle Hotel Association.  Also, thanks to the Seattle Police Foundation President and CEO Renee’ Hopkins and the Seattle Police Foundation Chairman of the Board of Directors Sam Baker.  Thank you for making our officers safer and our communities stronger. 

John Diaz, Chief of Police

Seattle, Washington — February 6, 2012 — This past Saturday, the Seattle Hotel Association hosted the 15th annual Evening of Hope Gala at the Olympic Fairmont Hotel. This year all net proceeds benefit the Seattle Police Foundation. Saturday’s honorees, Gil Kerlikowske and his wife Anna Laszlo, were recognized for all their hard work towards improving public safety. Gil is currently the Drug Czar for the Obama Administration and the former Seattle Police Chief (2001-2009). His wife Anna is a national leader in criminal justice research and programming. Both have had an amazing impact on the Seattle community, and it was under Gil’s leadership that the Seattle Police Foundation began.

The Seattle Police Foundation (SPF) was founded to assist the police department reach its mission of fighting crime, reducing fear and building strong communities. SPF specifically helps SPD enhance relationships with the community they serve, improve officer and employee development, and provide the latest in equipment and technology that would not be normally funded in the city’s budget to ensure their safety and enhance the service they provide our community every day. Proceeds from the Evening of Hope will go to fund projects in these areas. “This money will help us continue to make Seattle safer. The work we do changes and saves lives,” said Renée Hopkins, President of the Seattle Police Foundation. The event raised more than $400,000 with proceeds going to the SPF.

The partnership between the Seattle Hotel Association, the Seattle Police Foundation and the events sponsors, demonstrates the commitment we all have towards building a safe and vibrant Seattle to allow businesses and families to thrive. Again, the Seattle Police Foundation would like to thank the Seattle Hotel Association and the event sponsors for their support and ensuring the events success.

#########

 For more information, press only:

Abel Pacheco, (206) 733- 9372, abel.pacheco@seattle.gov

For more information on the Seattle Police Foundation and the Seattle Hotel Association:

http://www.seattlepolicefoundation.org

http://www.seattlehotelassociation.org/eoh.html

Two possible suspects were detained and subsequently released when no weapons were located.  Officers did recover three shell casings from the ground.  They also discovered a window in the 2100 block of Western Avenue that had a gunshot hole through it.  Nobody was injured however. 

Officer continued to search the area but no other evidence or property damage was located.

SFD medics responded to the scene and transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. 

The victim and suspect are not strangers to each other.  The suspect, an adult male in his 20′s, remains at large.

West Precinct Anti Crime Team officers were in the area when the call came out. Officers saw a group of males and female matching the description running from the scene.  As officers gave chase, one of the suspects  sloughed a handgun as he fled.  All suspects were caught and taken into custody.  Officers recovered the handgun.  One of the suspect’s had the victim’s fanny pack underneath his clothing. 

One of the suspect’s had an outstanding Department of Corrections (DOC) felony warrant and was also DOC active for weapons violations.   All three suspects ages 19, 21, and 22 were booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Assault and Robbery.

It is unknown what precipitated the assault. The suspect will be booked into King County Jail for Investigation of Assault.

Officers responded and located 3 subjects with multiple gunshot wounds.  Two cars had several rounds through the windshield.  All 3 subjects that were wounded would not state what happened.  There was a hostile crowd that was interfering with officers while they were trying to attend to the 3 wounded.

It is unknown if a shooter left in a vehicle or on foot.   One handgun was located away from the scene.  The scene was locked down and the Gang unit, Homicide and CSI responded.   A few rounds also struck the front of the club. There were no other reported injuries.

Victim 1- male, unknown age, sustained gunshot wounds to left and right arms and left leg. Life threatening injuries.

Victim 2-  male, 30- years- old, sustained  multiple gunshot wounds to his body. Life threatening injuries.

Victim 3- male,  24- years- old male, sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the stomach. Life threatening injuries.

All victims were transported to Harborview Medical Center.

The City’s Emergency Operations Center continues to operate, monitoring weather conditions and coordinating the City’s response to the winter storm event. The Joint Information Center activated at 5:30 a.m.

The morning commute remains challenging, with slush and ice still coating many residential streets and sidewalks in the early hours. Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) crews worked overnight, plowing and applying salt. Arterials are mostly bare and wet with some slush.

With the thaw on the way, the City is asking residents and businesses to locate nearby storm drains in the street and  — if it’s safe  —  to clear them of snow and debris. It’s the single most important thing people can do to protect their property and prevent water from pooling and creating traffic hazards.

In Seattle, there are about 80,000 storm drains — far more than City crews can clear quickly.

If an inlet or street drain appears to be blocked by snow or debris, try to safely clear a channel to provide a path for the runoff. If the drain cannot be cleared, or if the cause of the blockage or flooding is uncertain, call Seattle Public Utilities at (206) 386-1800.

Businesses and residents are reminded to keep their sidewalks clear. Pedestrians should exercise caution – many sidewalks are icy, and there is danger of falling ice from trees, buildings and power lines.

Seattle City Light has restored power to more than 6500 residents. Less than 100 customers remain without power this morning. For more details, visit http://www.seattle.gov/light.

There will be no residential garbage pickups today, and limited commercial and apartment services.

If your garbage, recycling, and food/yard waste was not picked up this week, please put them out on your next regularly scheduled pickup day. Missed customers will be allowed to set out double their normal amount of garbage, recycling and yard waste at no additional charge. Learn more at: http://seattle.gov/util/

SDOT’s Winter Weather page is available at  http://www.seattle.gov/transportation/winterweather.htm and includes maps of the City’s snow routes and real-time information on road conditions.

For information on public transportation options, please visit King County Metro (http://www.kingcounty.gov/metro/snow) and Sound Transit (http://www.soundtransit.org/Schedules/Alerts/Winter-Weather.xml). Riders are encouraged to check bus status online as conditions may change rapidly.

For more information about weather safety tips, and to find out about city facility closures, please go to www.seattle.gov.

The emails look something like this:

From:
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 8:18 PM
To:
Subject: SEATTLE TRAFFIC TICKET

Seattle — Department of Motor Vehicles
TRAFFIC TICKET
SEATTLE POLICE DEPARTMENT
THE PERSON CHARGED AS FOLLOWS
Time: 0:11 AM
Date of Offense: 20/12/2011

SPEED OVER 50 ZONE
TO PLEAD CLICK HERE AND FILL OUT THE FORM

The City of Seattle does not have its own Department of Motor Vehicles nor does the Seattle Police Department send email notifications of a traffic violations.  Also, note the date – the day is before the month!  Again, do not open the link.  Delete the email or place it in your junk folder. 

The City of Seattle is working with Microsoft to determine the origins of the email. Preliminary investigation indicates that the senders are overseas. 

For more information regarding how to recognize phishing emails, please visit Microsoft’s Safety and Security Center.  For more information about malware, visit the Microsoft Malware Protection Center.