Gunfire & High-Speed Pursuit Ends in Arrest

Here's what we can piece together for this event tonight:

At 11:55pm, medics and officers responded to a 911 report of a shooting at 18th & Yesler.  At some point police connected the shooting to a Black Hyundai Accent hatchback, and began a pursuit of that vehicle all over the neighborhood, with police cars flying in all directions with lights and sirens blazing. 

No victim was found at the site of the shooting at 18th & Yesler, and police haven't been able to find or call the original complainant in that event.

SPD's official policy is to not engage in high-speed pursuits due to the potential for injury to innocent bystanders.  At some point the pursuit must have crossed that threshold, as it was called off in the area of 32nd & Cherry, with the vehicle last seen headed northbound.

A short time after that, police received a new report of an accident involving a black hatchback at 30th & E. Howell. Police arrived there quickly and identified the vehicle as the one involved in the pursuit.  Witnesses described seeing a heavy white male leave the scene on a bicycle, and an officer soon detained a man matching that description just a block away.  K9 units had separately begun to work a track from the accident site and followed it straight to where the suspect was picked up.

A witness at that scene saw the suspect force entry into a home in the 1700 block of 32nd in an attempt to hide from police.  The suspect, a juvenile, was arrested for that crime while police attempt to definitively tie him to the other string of offenses that had piled up in the previous 30 minutes.

Witnesses at the crash scene said there was also a female passenger in the vehicle who left eastbound on foot.  K9 units followed a track for a couple of blocks but lost it.   Other witnesses saw her running near 30th & E. Harrison. However, she was still outstanding as of 1am.

We'll try to get the official story on this tomorrow morning.

Here's the near-real-time report as things unfolded:

Developing situation - we know there was an assault with weapons at 18th & Yesler with a large medic response.  

Police are chasing the suspect vehicle all over the neighborhood.  There was also mention of him having come from Aurora, so this may have started elsewhere.  

Police have terminated pursuit, vehicle last seen northbound on 32nd from Cherry, a black Hyundai Accent hatchback, license plate 115 XPJ.

Update: 12:11am    The medic response at 18th & Yesler closed out quickly, with no mention of a victim.  And police are unable to locate or call back the complainant who reported the shooting.  However, the two events are connected, with the shooting mentioned as "most likely related" to the pursuit.

Update: 12:14am     Fire crews are responding to reports of smoke coming out of a house at 3206 E. Terrace.  This is in the area where the pursuit was disengaged, but not sure if its related.

Update: 12:16am - 30th & E. Howell - Dark colored hatchback involved in an accident

Update: 12:17am - "That is the vehicle, let's set up containment.  Is guardian up?"  "We don't have guardian, k-9 is up"

Update:  12:22am - A large-build white male took off eastbound from the accident scene on a bike in a gray-hooded sweatshirt, talking on a cell phone.  Not clear if this matches the description of the suspect they're looking for

Update: 12:24am - A west precinct unit may have detained the white male.  An east precinct unit is going over to check him out.  Not clear where.  "FYI - The seat is pushed way back in the car, so we may be looking for a pretty big kid. "  The detained male is 6'2", 6'3".

Update: 12:25am - K9 is following a possible track from the 1700 block of 32nd

Update: 12:28am - "Get witnesses from the crash scene and see if they can come for a show-up. "  K9 says:  "We've stopped cold where this suspect was detained."  (can dogs really follow the scent of someone on a bike?)

Update: 12:30am - Suspect forced entry into a house in 1700 block 33rd Ave to try and hide from police

Update: 12:32am - A witness IDd the suspect for the forced entry.  They're taking him into custody on that for now.   Containment released.

Update: 12:35am - The vehicle is registered to a female with an address in the North precinct.  Units up there are going to check if it was stolen or not.

Update: 12:38am - The suspect is a juvenile

Update: 12:39am - They're now reporting that there was a female passenger in the car.  Last seen walking eastbound on Howell with a long overcoat and a purse.  Unknown race, skinny build.

Here's the log of stuff we heard on the scanner for the rapid chase through the neighborhood:

• westbound marion, back to 23, still westbound past 23, north 21, 
• northbound 21 from union
• eastbound on pike
• west on east pike approaching 23rd
• east on east pike, approaching 23rd.
• 115 xPJ
• east 27th & Pine, crossing MLK, eastbound on pine still, heacing up the hill
• north on 35th from pine
• eastbound on shubert east
• south on 36th
• black hundai accent hatchback
• car was on aurora north, may try to go back to I-5
• turned off lights
• southbound crossing union
• crossing columbia
• crossing terrace
• any victims on yesler?
• terminate pursuit
• westbound on 32nd - looked like he was trying to strike another officer's car