By Matt Wendland
Burien man arrested in connection to the killing of two men in Kent
A Burien man is in custody after two men were killed at a gas station in Kent. The shooting took place on Wednesday, August 20th, at approximately 8:40 a.m. at the Shell gas station and Wendy’s restaurant within the 6400 block of 212th Street in Kent. Witnesses told police that the suspect, Leland D. Russell, 29, of Burien, and a passenger, pulled into the gas station and parked their black Cadillac in a manor that blocked other vehicles from fueling their vehicles. As the suspect and passenger walked towards the station, two construction workers began to argue with them over the haphazard parking of their vehicle. According to police, witnesses claim that the augment escalated when Russell, who is Latino, believed that he and his passenger, who is black, had been "disrespected" by the construction workers and a series of racial slurs directed at them. Employees from Shell Station joined the confrontation and the passenger of the vehicle began to both physically and verbally spar with the men while Russell retrieved a firearm from his Cadillac. Once Russell retrieved the gun, he allegedly approached the two store employees and shot them both at close range. He and the passenger then fled the gas station in the Cadillac. One victim was identified as 52-year-old Dave Christianson while the identity of the second victim has yet to be released. Police used surveillance footage to identify the suspect and located him at his Burien home 10 miles from the gas station. Russell was arrested without incident and later told police that he shot the men because they had disrespected he and the passenger and that if he hadn’t, the passenger’s family would have killed him for not standing up for his friend. Russell is currently being held on $2 million bail and is waiting for his next court appearance on August 25th. The passenger in the vehicle at the time of the shooting has been identified but has yet to be picked up by police.

Police investigate stabbing in White Center
Deputies from the King County Sheriff’s Department are searching for a man involved in a stabbing last Wednesday night. The incident took place in the early morning hours of August 20 outside of a bar located on the 9600 block of 16th Avenue S.W. in White Center. Witnesses told police that the suspect stabbed the victim in the back after the two were refused entrance to the bar before fleeing the scene. Emergency responders transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle with life threatening injuries. Though the victim confirmed that he what acquainted with his attacker, he refused to cooperate with the police in their investigation. Police are asking for the public’s help in locating the suspect. He is described as a 5-foot 10-inch white male who weighs approximately 160 pounds and has a mullet hairstyle.

Crimes reported between August 3 and August 17

Home and Business Break-in/Burglary:
900 Blk S.W. 150th St., 11800 Blk 16th Ave. S., 11000 Blk 8th Ave. S., 10100 Blk 8th Ave. S., 8500 Blk Dallas Ave. S., 17000 Blk 35th Ave. S., 3600 Blk S. 162nd St., 3000 Blk S. 176th St., 10200 Blk 26th Ave. S.W., 2400 Blk S.W. Roxbury St., 100 Blk S.W. 116th St., 11000 Blk 16th Ave. S.W., 10200 Blk 16th Ave. S.W., 100 Blk S.W. 148th St., 15000 Ambaum Blvd. S., 100 Blk S.W. 157th St.
Auto Thefts/Break-in:
11800 Blk 1st Ave. S., 200 Blk S. 162nd St., 11400 Blk 16th Ave. S.W., 100 Blk Des Moines Memorial Dr. S., 15200 Blk Intl. Blvd. S., 9300 Blk 4th Ave. S., 3000 Blk S. 176th St., 11200 Blk 1st Ave. S., 12900 Blk 4th Ave. S.W., 15400 Blk Des Moines Memorial Dr. S., 11000 Blk 4th Ave. S.W., 10200 Blk Occidental Ave., 9800 Blk 9th Pl. S., 11300 Blk 5th Ave. S.W., 10000 Blk 3rd Ave. S.W., 11600 Blk 3rd Ave. S., 11600 Ambaum Blvd. S.
Assault/Violence:
11600 Blk Ambaum Blvd. S., 2000 Blk S.W. 116th St., 14400 Blk Military Rd. S., 16700 Blk Intl. Blvd. S., 17100 Blk Intl. Blvd. S., 16500 Blk Intl. Blvd. S., 10700 Blk 14th Ave. S.W., 10600 Blk 14th Ave. S.W., 13400 Blk Occidental Ave., 700 Blk S.W. 131st St., 900 Blk S.W. 102nd St., 1500 Blk S.W. Roxbury St., 10600 Blk 14th Ave. S.W., 100 Blk 15th Ave. S.W., 1200 Blk 26th Ave. S., 1200 Blk S.W. 137th St., 15000 Blk Ambaum Blvd. S., 200 Blk S.W. 154th St.