UPDATE:

Detectives make arrest in Woodland Park homicide

During the course of their investigation, Homicide detectives developed information about a possible suspect in last week’s homicide at Woodland Park. On February 28th, detectives contacted and arrested a 33 year old man for that shooting. After being interviewed by detectives, the suspect was booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Murder. This remains an active and ongoing homicide investigation.

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5:15 p.m. on February 20th. 60th block of Aurora Ave N

Police responded to a report of shots fired near Woodland Park on the evening of February 20th and arrived at the scene to find an adult male who had been critically injured. The victim was located in a parking lot and transported to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries. Homicide, CSI, and K-9 units responded, but no suspect was located in the area. The investigation is ongoing.

12:30 p.m. on February 18th. 53rd block of Tallman Ave NW

At 5:23 p.m., a Seattle Police officer responded to a report that a former patient had threatened staff at a hospital. The complainant said that the suspect, an elderly male patient, arrived at the hospital the previous night at 11:00 p.m. The patient attempted to bite hospital staff and was treated and released around 3:00 a.m. on the 18th.

Another worker at the hospital said that at 12:30 p.m. on the 18th, she answered a phone call from the suspect’s wife, but the suspect was on the phone and threatened the victim, then hung up. Not long afterward, the suspect’s wife called the victim and said that her husband’s angry behavior was scaring her. The suspect’s wife also said that her husband had threatened to shoot unknown persons, so she was going to go stay with her daughter. The victim told the complainant about the incident, and the complainant called police.

The officer attempted to contact the victim’s wife at her daughter’s house and was unsuccessful. He and a second officer went to the suspect’s home, and as they approached the house, a light went out and there was the sound of metallic objects just behind the door. The suspect then opened the door partway, and the officer attempted to speak with him about the phone calls he had made to the hospital. The suspect told the officer to go away. He then attempted to close the door and reached down to something near the door. The officer suspected that it was a gun and forcibly entered the suspect’s home.

The suspect was standing just in front of the officer and holding at hatchet. Both officers took the hatchet from the suspect and subdued him. When asked whether he had a gun, the suspect made threats. He said that he did not know where his wife was and then asked for his hearing aid. The suspect was arrested and read his rights, then taken to the north precinct. He was later booked in King County Jail on Felony Harassment and Felony Assault charges.

The suspect’s wife was not at the house, but the officer later obtained her phone number and spoke with her. She said that her husband had become increasingly violent over the past few years. She said that she believed her husband was not threatening her, only the hospital staff, and said that he needed a mental health evaluation.