Did the police cars wake your up last night, too?
Joanne and Laura both emailed us to let us know police cars woke them up around 1 a.m., and they wanted to know the scoop. Joanne writes:
Hi, I live on 2nd NE and 88th – does anyone know what was happening Thursday night around 1-2AM. I was awakened around 2 with several police cars in front of my house. I did call 911 and she said that they were looking for someone. When I let my dogs out in the morning I discovered that someone had forcibly opened 3 locked gates and left them open. I was lucky to discover this before my dogs escaped. Does anyone know what was happening?
And from Laura:
Anybody know what SPD was doing between 2-3am this morning? Seemed like 5 SPD vehicles were circling the area near the Latona cut through between 88th and 90th forever last night. Kind of scary!
Joanna and Laura, as well as other neighbors in the area alarmed by the police presence, will be happy to know that the suspect police were looking for was arrested. From the SPD Blotter:
Just before 1:00 am this morning, North Precinct officers responded to a suspicious circumstances call in the 800 Block of NE 92nd Street. The caller stated that there were two men in a car that had been parked across the street for the past half hour. One of the men had a flashlight. As the officer was arriving, the car started to pull away from the curb. The officer activated his emergency lights and the car stopped. Immediately the passenger got out of the car and ran west and then north on 8th Avenue NE. The officer contacted the driver, who remained in the car. He told the officer that his friend ran because he had outstanding warrants. A computer check of the man’s name confirmed that he had several outstanding warrants for his arrest, with a total bail of over $22,000.
Additional officers responded to the scene, as well as a K-9 team. The dog and handler began a track for the suspect and located him in a yard of a house in the 200 Block of NE 85th Street. The 43 year old suspect was taken into custody approximately 45 minutes after he ran from the car. The suspect complained of soreness to his stomach from jumping over fences in an attempt to get away, so he was taken to a local hospital to be checked out. After he was examined by medical staff he was then booked into the King County Jail for his many outstanding warrants.
At about 10:3o we noticed a strange, heavily damaged car left across the street by 89th and Latona. Officers spent a long time with the vehicle. We assumed it was related to the later search, but now I’m not so sure.
At a recent Maple Leaf community meeting, when asked about the difference between 911 and the non-emergency police number, the SPD said both numbers go to same operator…. so according to them, it is fine to call 911 for non-emergency issues as well.
Just passing on what the SPD told us at that meeting.
I sleep with the (upstairs) windows open. Awoke the sound of someone running in the gravel by my house. Must have been about 1:30 or so. Looked around to see the police cars circling the block(s), must have been 3-4 of ’em. Then 2 policemen, led by a dog, going up and down the driveways and finally into the bushes that separate the backs of the properties on 1st and 2nd. Glad they got the perp.
Per a 911 operator in Seattle, if it is potentially life-threatening or you are in doubt, don’t guess, call 911.
We need to form a chain gang with these clowns and have them do some weeding over in the park for a month or so!
FYI, 911 is for emergencies only, not for informational requests.