Police raid 31st/Cherry home – UPDATE: Ferrari shooting suspect arrested

Justin Ferrari

UPDATE 7/20: Andrew Jermain Patterson has been charged with second degree murder. See our update for more.

UPDATE: Police have arrested the man suspected of shooting and killing Justin Ferrari. He was taken into custody in Federal Way Thursday, police say. They then served several related search warrants in and around the city.

From SPD:

Homicide detectives have arrested a 20-year-old man suspected of killing Justin Ferrari in the Central District in May.

Ferrari and was driving down Martin Luther King Jr. Way and E. Cherry Street with his family when the 20-year-old suspect opened fire on the street, striking striking and killing Ferrari as he drove past.

After combing through surveillance footage and working with the gang unit to chase down leads on their suspect, homicide detectives, SPD SWAT, and US Marshalls arrested Ferrari’s killer at a home in Federal Way Thursday.

Detectives, SWAT, and the gang unit served warrants at several other locations in Seattle and South King County.

“Detectives worked hard. Real hard. pretty much non-stop” since Ferrari was killed on May 24th, Homicide Sgt. Bob Vallor says.

Detectives are still interviewing the 20-year-old suspect, who will be booked into the King County Jail for investigation of homicide.

Ferrari, who lived with his wife and two children in Madrona, was driving a van westbound on Cherry at MLK May 24 when a bullet struck him in the head and killed him. His children and his parents—visiting from out of town—were in the van with him when he was killed. He died in his father’s arms. He was 42.

His death shook the neighborhood and reopened memories of other recent victims of gun violence. A tense, standing-room-only community forum showcased a community simultaneously torn apart and brought together by the ongoing epidemic of gun crime and senseless violence.

UPDATE 3:15pm: There are still several killings in the neighborhood that remain unsolved. Desmond Jackson, a longtime CD resident, was gunned down outside a SODO nightclub in February. Demicko Chatman was shot and killed at 19th and Yesler one year ago next week. Though he is not included in SPD’s list of unsolved murders, Shaun Harris was found beaten to death at 26th and Jefferson In September 2011. And the family and friends of Tyrone Love are still searching for closure in the 2009 shooting that took his life just a block from where Ferrari died.

Original Story:

About an hour after the raid. (Note: Not where the suspect arrest was made)

SWAT teams and Seattle Police raided a home on 31st Ave between Cherry and Jefferson today investigating a homicide.

The raid began around 11:30 a.m. at the mid-block house. Officers on the scene said they were executing a search warrant. Residents answered the door and officers secured the area without incident, officers said.

Detectives and Gang Unit officers were searching for weapons and other evidence. No arrests were made at the house.

We’ll have more information as we get it.

UPDATE

Photo of the raid from a reader (Note: This is the scene of a related search, not the arrest scene)

: Here’s a photo from a reader (right).

 

UPDATE 1:20pm: An ambulance has arrived at the scene, according to a reader.

I contacted SPD for more information, but they do not have anything yet.

UPDATE 2:14pm: Police confirm they have made an arrest in the killing of Justin Ferrari.

62 thoughts on “Police raid 31st/Cherry home – UPDATE: Ferrari shooting suspect arrested

  1. true for sure. there are a lot of unsolved murders that need dealing with. but the Ferrari one stands out, for me, as being especially horrible.

  2. Good news. I’m hoping we see more arrests in some of the other yet unsolved cases.

  3. i am glad that one murder has been solved. This will bring closure to the family. However, many other cases are still unsolved, and some are not even listed on the unsolved case site (maintained by the SPD). Hopefully, all of the hard work and extra efforts can now be turned to some of the other cases so that other families can see justice and peace.

  4. They made an arrest – there’s a long way to go before there’s a conviction. I just hope they have the right guy and that he is in fact convicted. And I agree, I hope they find the others who have been shooting up this city and get them OFF the streets.

  5. Thank you for tracking this Tom and all! It is still a horrible ugly thing, but, it has to be solved.

  6. It is a very few bad guys. Find them and things will be better. How many really really bad guys do you think there are here? 5? 10? 100? 1000?

    I would put the number at about 10 really bad guys, 178 creeps, and an unlimited supply of out of towners that are here to support the bad guys. Get the 10 and the shooting stops. Get the 178 and the prostitutions and drugs go way down. Not bad really.

  7. You notice they only find the killers of the white people it like there the ones who matter in all this

  8. i think that a lot of effort was devoted to this particular murder. It saddens me to think that the families of other murder victims felt/feel the same as Justin Ferrari’s family, and therefore, deserve the same amount of time, effort, and “old fashioned detective work” (according to the SPD website)that this case received. Maybe this case just had better leads, but in my opinion, this case received attention that other cases didnt. The cases that are still unsolved are largely non white victims.I hope that is not the case, but its hard to think otherwise when those same victims dont even appear on the site pertaining to unsolved murders. If it was an oversite, it should have been corrected, and given the state of affairs in Seattle, more sensitivity should have been given to the victims families. I dont want to take away from the victims families becuz they are the ones that have to see or feel this oversight.

  9. This was in broad daylight, with quite a few witnesses, and no doubt the shooter make numerous mistakes which pointed the police in his direction. Not so with the middle of the night murders with no witnesses or obvious witnesses who refuse to talk to police.

  10. The murder was an horrific tragedy for the victim’s family, which will impact generations – his parents, his children, all of their loved ones.

    As the mother of young men myself, one of whom is 20 years old, I see this as also a terrible tragedy for the 20 year old shooter, and his loved ones. Seeing his baby face on the news, my heart breaks for his mother, his grandmother. They know this son will not see day light again for a decade at least, and will likely go off to prison to be victimized and come out even worse than he went in. All for a decision in a single moment, before he’s even 21. The whole thing is just tragic.

  11. i agree. Today is a day to be thankful that one of many homicides has been solved. I am glad as i stated earlier that a family can now begin the healing process. If my comments offended anyone i do apologize as that was not my intent.

  12. HB, troll on. Racism lives..remember please that his bullet was not intended for Justin…

  13. What irritates me is that this guy was from frickin Federal Way. Up in the neighborhood, trying to be a big man. The guy he was aiming for was probably here from Lynnwood.

    The suburbs are worse than the city, but no one will ever admit it.

  14. Bull. shit. Baby face? How about murderer? A decade AT LEAST? I am praying for the death penalty if he is in fact found guilty. The moment we stop caudaling and making up excuses for the ‘baby faces’ is the moment accountability returns.

  15. Ian,
    I would wager the shooter will be out on the streets in a few years if convicted. Probably a manslaughter charge at best. Our laws here are very weak compared to other states.
    Butch

  16. Has been the site of more than one SWAT raid. It has a known gang history going back to the 80’s and is a blight on the neighborhood. The woman who owns it has gone out of her way to shelter criminals for years.

  17. Can anybody clarify why US Marshals would be involved in making this arrest? Does that imply drugs or other federal crimes?

    Thanks for the post Tom and for noting the unsolved CD murders.

  18. “All for a decision in a single moment, before he’s even 21…. “

    “….decision in a single moment?” WTF, are you kidding? You think he just suddenly lapsed into the kind of reckless behavior that would lead someone to engage in a broad daylight shootout with lots of innocent passersby around? Do you really believe this was his first brush with reckless and illegal behavior? Yeah, right, and he probably just bought the gun that same day at Walgreens….

  19. How many of the other murders have witnesses that won’t talk? Or known gang members who probably know who did it, and where he is, but won’t cooperate? with the cops?

    Wouldn’t surprise me if this case was made easier to solve because the witnesses actually cooperated with the police instead of sheltering their fellow gang members.

  20. I will make a guess… a guess. If one fires a gun on the street, and the bullet strikes and kills a bystander, that’s manslaughter, not murder. (No malice aforethought.) But if you are in possession of an illegal weapon, possibly violating Federal gun laws, that’s a felony. And by the felony murder rule, that’s a first-degree murder charge.

  21. The SPD needs to be focusing on these unsolved murders and cracking down on violence, drug, and gun crime. Those are the things that will make the CD safer, not early morning raids on anarchists or socialists.

    I hope good people from the neighborhood provided information leading to this arrest. Speak up, this is our neighborhood, lets make it safe for families and send the knuckleheads packing.

    Thanks SPD! Now, work on those other murders. If this takes too much overtime money, hire more and promote more detectives. If the courts are full, hire more staff, lawyers, and judges. Get the resources you need to do the job. The folks who say the CD deserves to be just as safe as Ballard are right.

  22. Yes, this is a tragedy for everyone…EVERYONE. MrsD is right to acknowledge it. Think about the randomness of the act – a few inches or a few feet difference and we’d never be talking about this. Now… look back at your own long life. How many times have the difference of a few inches or a few feet separated you from a good life and tragedy? Behind the wheel of your car. That dangerous machine you operate for work. The slip on the stairs.

    But, MrsD, you must acknowledge that the perpetrator fired his weapon in anger towards another human being. He may have been firing at someone else and his bullet struck the victim, but he WAS firing at someone in anger. That was a choice (a decision, as you say), not a mistake. It is tragic, yes, but a tragedy brought on by his own choice.

  23. Excellent work, one positive step in removing the containment zone! I hope for the death penalty in this and other arrests, It is the only way to get this scum off the streets. If they know they will die by the State they will leave!

  24. Oh boo hoo for them. Once this person is proved guilty beyond reasonable doubt I hope they NEVER get out or even the death penalty.

  25. It does seem like our concerns about a community are being taken more seriously, maybe because they’re getting more and better information from the community. Perhaps the days of the Containment District are on their way out.

    To those that point out this just means it’s driven south, well, that does seem true. Maybe though there will be a healthy progression as communities heal and bad elements aren’t there to snare in fresh young people.

    Kudos and may this be the closed case be followed by others as more people supply information to our police force. They can’t do it alone.

    Very happy for the Ferrari family to have closure, am hoping against hope that the Love family, amongst others gets that closure too. It won’t heal the wounds but it has to feel a bit better knowing that person isn’t out there enjoying life after murdering your loved one.

  26. There are maybe 10 that have shot and killed someone. But there are a few hundred gang bangers that just haven’t had the opportunity.

    Do you really think there are only 10 people here who commit armed robberies and muggings? And they *are* going to kill. It’s just a matter of time.

    Still, I’m very grateful for the hard work of the police. I hope this will lead to some closure for the Ferrari family.

  27. Very unlikely Butch. Felony homicide is not manslaughter and assuming this guy is found guilty, he’ll go away for a very long time. You’re probably right that this isn’t “murder one” but nobody is walking away with a slap on the wrist over this either.

  28. re oversight and Ryan: He should be charged with murder 1, see the rcw ( http://apps.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=9A.32.030)… I would venture that the prosecution could show malice aforethought because the defendant was carrying a concealed/illegal gun – and used it… his intent was to inflict harm, most reasonable citizens would agree that his actions placed himself and others at risk of harm, and the doctrine of transferred intent would attach. Also, there are most likely enhancements due to evidence (or possible evidence) that he was involved with gang activity and that the homicide occurred during the commission of another felony crime – not to mention that one could argue that this case will be used as an “example” to those who think its cool to cary guns. I don’t know why the Marshals would be involved, but I’d venture to guess that it was just a show of support and additional resources – unless there are some other details that are being left out of the picture about the defendant and other possible suspects. Anyway, I’m happy he was caught… Let’s hope the state does a good job and puts this guy away for life.

  29. The city should confiscate the home. Bulldoze the lot and sell it. Irresponsible owners are as responsible as the creeps they shelter. That woman has no business in our neighborhood.

    I agree with Mrs.D on so much. And she is kinda sorta right. But, I just don’t want to show empathy for this crud. It is important to be angry sometimes too.

  30. Unbelievable comment. I bet Justin Ferrari won’t see the light of day for at least a decade either, all for the decision of a single moment to be driving where many of us do (have to) every single day. Lock the idiot up and throw away the key.

  31. As a mother I can feel compassion for the suffering the shooter’s family will now forever suffer, without implying that he shouldn’t be punished. There’s a difference.

    And I’m sad to see a life, any life, thrown away, even when the shooter, as pointed out, has done it to himself. It’s all just sad and tragic.

    For those slobbering about the death penalty, we kissed that goodbye when Ridgway wasn’t sentenced. Now everyone can argue uneven justice if they’re sentenced to death in this state. Lastly, you don’t get the death penalty for this sort of crime. You just don’t. That’s the truth, whether y’all like it or not. Focus instead on addressing gang violence and those who harbor and enable violent gangs in our neighborhood.

  32. Why this house and other like it are not removed under the nusience abatement law is a good question. We got rid of alot of these harbors of crime through weed and seed years ago. Why is there no follow through.
    And yes, they can be charged with a capitol crime and get the death penalty.

  33. I’m happy about his, unfortunately the taxpayer will have to pay for this POS for the next however many years.

  34. We don’t actually know he was from Federal Way, do we? I didn’t see that clarified in the story. He was found there, but he could be from the area and was simply staying down there. Obviously the problem of keeping these guys in hiding stretches out across the metro area.

  35. How do you know he was from Federal Way? Just because he was arrested there doesn’t mean he lived there. It is possible he just went there to hide after the shooting.

  36. Congratulations to the Seattle Police. Using video footage from bus, etc is fantastic.

    This is a excellent use of oversight we need to get the scum off the streets and running scared – fantastic!

    Well done – keep up the great work!!!!

  37. how is it a tragedy for anybody other than his two fatherless kids? this is quite possibly the dumbest post I’ve ever read on here. have you ever lost somebody? do you know what it’s like not to live a life with your dad b/c he died? no. can it. Mr. Ferrari’s kids will live with that image–their dad shot dead in front of them–and it’s a tragedy for the shooter.

    seriously, remove the keyboard from your computer permanently.

  38. she’s not kinda sorta right. what kind of drivel is that? kinda sorta right? huh? sympathy for the family of the shooter? you’re out of your mind.

    seriously, you should stop posting. the only sympathy I have is for the children who, for however long they live, will see the picture of their dad, shot in the head, dying in their grandpa’s arms. that’s it.

    sympathy for the shooter’s family. this is PC seattle run amok.

  39. Yeah, this was a “decision of a single moment”, all right…

    “According to court records, the suspect in Ferrari’s killing has an arrest record that includes juvenile charges for third-degree theft, residential burglary and criminal trespass. He has never been convicted of a felony as an adult in King County, although he was arrested in April 2011 for possession of a controlled substance. The charge was reduced to misdemeanor criminal solicitation, court records show.

    The documents say the suspect, who was then 18, had raw and bloody knuckles when he was arrested for participating in a series of fistfights in downtown Seattle, according to the probable-cause statement in the case. When he was arrested, officers found 12 Ecstasy tablets in his basketball shorts and he told them he took the drug daily, the statement says.

    Most recently, the suspect was charged in Auburn Municipal Court with fourth-degree domestic-violence assault. As part of that case, which is pending, the court ordered him on April 26 not to possess any firearms — one month before the shot that killed Ferrari was fired.”

    Yeah, sounds like a sudden thing to me….

  40. The ONLY sympathy I feel is for the victims in this terrible crime. Go ahead and feel bad for others that more than likely contributed to his life choices. He’s an adult, I am grateful he will be charged as one now.

  41. Though CDNews is not naming him until he is officially charged, it appears that he lived in Federal Way in recent years, but he grew up on Cherry St.

  42. I FEEL YOU!!!!! Nobody else in this city matters! its been proven time and time agin!! Welcome to the NEW Mississippi!

  43. WHY ARE YOU WHITE PEOPLE SO ANGRY???? THIS IS SOME OF THE MOST RACIST BANTER I HAVE EVER SEEN ON ANY WEBSITE ANYWHERE!!! You have all lost your fucking minds!! and are ALL RACIST, just because you dont attend a KKK meeting doesnt mean your not RACIST!! Sad to think I live & love this sick fucking neighborhood! GROW UP……we are all AMERICANS

  44. For uppitypothead; I am one of the Detectives working this case. If you have information regarding the arrested person or any information regarding this case please call me. This investigation is on-going and we will continue to contact and interview people. My direct line is 206-684-5567. If I do not answer please leave a message on my machine. Thank you for any help you provide.

  45. The court budgets are cut year after year, including this one. Ask the city prosecutor how many cases in the last, say, 3 years have been decline-to-file after GREAT police work has resulted in arrests. The number will be shockingly large.

  46. Honestly, stop reading in to my post what isn’t there. Sympathy and empathy are different things. And to answer the question above, yes, I have indeed lost someone to violence, and also lost a loved one due to his own reckless decisions. So both sides of the coin. (Not many who have lived in the CD five decades escape being touched by violence.) All the more reason why I can acknowledge how terrible violence is, and the ripple effect it has on every one of the lives of involved.

    Meanwhile, I applaud Detective Weklych and his colleagues for their amazing work. Good job, SPD. Thank you.

  47. The girl who was shot in pioneer square by a stray bullet was white, and her murder is unsolved. The guy beaten to death on Cap Hill was white, his murder is unsolved. The people shot at at at Discovery Park and Alki yesterday include white people, and those cases have no leads per the Seattle Times. There’s a vast difference between solving cases that happen in broad daylight, with witnesses and security cameras involved, and those that happen in the middle of the night with no witnesses and no video. That doesn’t make the lack of leads a racist conspiracy on the part of SPD. Jeez.

  48. Everybody is racist upity. Don’t get all holier than thow on us. You are quite obviously racist. Question is how do yo deal with it. In your case, not well.

  49. WHO DID THEY ARREST FOR KILLING NATIVE AMERICAN JOHN T. WILLIAMS???? WHAT TWO FACED HYPOCRITES? KEEP SPEAKING “WITH FORKED TONGUE” AND SEE IF THIS PROBLEM OF VIOLENCE GETS RESOLVED? IF YOU WOULD GET ON THE PLANE OR BOAT AND RETRACE YOUR ANCESTORS BACK TO EUROPE AND STAY THERE, YOU WOULD NOT HAVE TO DEAL WITH THE MESS THEY CREATED HERE IN “THE NEW WORLD”? PLEASE READ YOUR HISTORY AND THEN ACT ACCORDINGLY AND “DO THE RIGHT THING” AND FORGET ABOUT “THE WHITE MAN’S BURDEN” AND GO REBUILD YOUR EUROPEAN “HOMELAND”! BY THE WAY LONDON IS VERY NICE AND PEACEFUL AD I ENJOYED MY 5 MONTHS STAY THERE AND LISTENING TO SPEAKERS AT THE FAMOUS HYDE PARK!!! Omari Tahir, 66 year resident of AFRICATOWN/CENTRAL DISTRICT AND AFRICATOWN/CENTRAL DISTRICT HISTORIAN

  50. I forget, was Omari convicted for smashing Mayor Schell’s face in or did they let him of on that particular charge?