Seattle police open fire on a 'suspicious vehicle' in a crowded neighborhood.
This is a news-story that has been on-going for a few days now: A resident in a neighborhood that's been plagued with a series of auto thefts/break-ins calls police about spotting a suspicious vehicle. The resulting response from the police erupts in a spraying of gun fire. The authorities have not made it clear if those in the suspect vehicle were doing any of the shooting, or if any of the three occupants in the car even had a gun. So far, the only reasoning of using deadly force was because the car was backing up towards the police. Beyond shattering one of it's windows, the car was able to get away. People living in the neighborhood were terrified when gunfire was realized, turning off lights, closing curtains, and crawling around on the floor. Now, I have heard about rules for high speed pursuits being called off in traffic to protect innocent drivers from getting involved. Should not the same be considered when discharging a firearm in a crowded neighborhood? Especially since the incident happened close to when this country just experienced a high causality event in Las Vegas?
Police officers fired multiple shots at a vehicle in Eastlake after it backed toward the officers, according to a public information officer for the Seattle Police Department. The vehicle fled and was found Monday afternoon, the police blotter reported.
Officers on Sunday night responded to a 911 call of a "suspicious vehicle." One nearby resident, a landlord who declined to give his name, said one of his tenants made the call. The landlord said he was watching TV when he heard between 15 and 20 gunshots coming from an alley outside his building near Lake Union. Another resident, Kelli Nelson, also said she heard between 15 and 20 gunshots.
http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/10/08/25459356/seattle-police-officers-opened-fire-on-a-suspicious-vehicle-in-eastlake-before-it-fled-the-scene
One man believed he heard someone knocking on his wall. Others assumed fireworks were going off. But to Pavrin Asokan, 33, the noise was unmistakable. “I’ve seen the footage from Vegas,” he says. “Not something you’d expect to hear on a Sunday night.”
News soon spread through Eastlake that the popping sounds came from police gunfire in an alley off Lynn Street, about three blocks from Lake Union. Officers arrived on the scene Sunday evening after someone reported a “suspicious vehicle,” according to a statement posted to the Seattle Police Department’s online blotter. The officers stepped out of their cruiser. Shortly after, police say, the driver backed toward officers who responded by opening fire. Residents say they heard two bursts of multiple shots. Some said they heard six to eight shots. Others said 15 to 20.
...police stuck tape around the holes. (SPD spokesman Jonah Spangenthal-Lee could not immediately confirm if the damage pictured below was caused by the officers' gunfire.)
Kathy then points to the ground, where fragments of glass mix with loose asphalt. A “puddle” of shattered car window used to sit in the same spot. Kathy, 68, says she doesn’t want to cast judgement about the decision to use force, but “I’m really not wild about people getting shot at everywhere.”
http://www.thestranger.com/slog/2017/10/10/25461771/confusion-and-fear-struck-eastlake-after-police-shooting
Here is the Seattle.gov explanation of the above incident:
Written by Public Affairs on October 8, 2017 9:32 pm
Update 10/9 12:25 PM: Police have located the vehicle in North Seattle.
Update 10/9: Police are searching for a black Subaru Impreza with a broken right tail light, shattered driver’s side window and possible bullet damage. The vehicle’s license plate number is BFS1521.
If you see this vehicle, please call 911 immediately.
...Officers were dispatched to the 2200 block of Yale Avenue East for a report of suspicious activity possibly involving a weapon. When officers arrived they found the suspects sitting in a black Subaru Impreza. As officers approached the car the suspects attempted to strike the officers with the vehicle. Officers opened fire possibly striking the vehicle. The suspects fled the area and have not been located. No officers were injured.
http://spdblotter.seattle.gov/2017/10/08/detectives-investigating-officer-involved-shooting-in-eastlake-neighborhood/
More at the link
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