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SEATTLE — Police are investigating a shooting that left a 44-year-old man seriously injured in Seattle’s Cherry Hill neighborhood early Saturday morning.
At about 3:50 a.m., a dispatcher received a report of the shooting in the 2200 block of East Madison Street. Officers arrived to find the man suffering from a gunshot wound to his shoulder.
Police provided life-saving efforts until the Seattle Fire Department arrived. The victim was transported to Harborview Medical Center in serious but stable condition.
The suspect fled the scene shortly after the shooting and has not been located.
Witnesses reported an altercation between the victim and a group of people before the shooting.
Detectives from the Robbery Unit will investigate to determine what led up to the shooting.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Seattle Police Department Violent Crimes Tip Line at (206) 233-5000.
TACOMA, Wash. — A driver suspected of being under the influence was arrested after crashing their car into a tree on State Route 510 Friday night.
The crash happened on the eastbound lane at milepost 5.38 near Rockcress Drive Southeast, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT).
Troopers and WSDOT crews arriving at the scene found the front of the car crumpled into the tree at a dramatic angle, with the back wheels completely off the ground.
The driver was minorly injured, and was arrested for DUI.
The road was closed for several hours while the car was removed from the tree.
SEATTLE — "CARE" teams from the city of Seattle will now be working to help people in crisis in more parts of the city.
The mayor announced that the Community Crisis Responders (CARE) teams of social workers are now responding with officers on their own in south and southwest Seattle.
At a press conference, Mayor Bruce Harrell said the CARE teams have proven their effectiveness in other parts of the city.
"They have responded to over 1,700 incidents with an average response time of under 12 minutes and an average time on the scene of approximately 33 minutes," said Mayor Harrell. "Over a quarter of those requests involved transport to shelters and day centers, a time-intensive ask that which would have taken police away from other priorities."
The goal is to take pressure off police officers, giving them more time to respond to violent crimes and other issues. It’s help that community leaders in West Seattle say officers need.
“They are called with courage to face down the worse predators and bad actors and for those reasons, we need police on the front lines managing high-level emergency calls hands down,” said Charlotte Starck from the Alki Community Council.
The SODO area has seen some of the biggest problems with homelessness and will now have CARE Teams working there daily.
“Every day we see individuals struggling with mental health issues, addiction, and a lack of basic resources like food and shelter. And these are issues that cannot be addressed by law enforcement alone,” said Erin Goodman from the SODO Business Improvement Area.
The teams are trained in de-escalation, to help keep volatile incidents from becoming violent.
“It is our collective job to create the conditions in which people can chart their own path to stability, purpose, to joy, no matter where their starting point," said Carolanne Sanders Lundgren from the community group "Purpose. Dignity. Action."
CARE teams have been patrolling downtown, the Chinatown-International District, and Capitol Hill. In January, the North Precinct was added. Now areas south of downtown will have the same level of outreach.
SEATTLE — A grieving Arlington couple is renewing a push to catch a hit-and-run driver weeks after their son was killed in a Seattle crosswalk.
Sue Ward told KOMO News her son Richard John Ward, AKA "Ole," was run over and killed at busy 15th and Market Street in Ballard on Feb. 1 around 1:20 a.m. Witnesses told police the driver fled on Northwest Market Street.
"It tossed my son 75 feet and knocked his shoes off his feet, and he’s on the ground pleading for help," Ward cried. "I’m thankful it was quick for him, but what kind of monster does this?"
Pictures from Ole’s childhood and beyond remain on display in Ward's Arlington home. Ward and her husband, John, described Ole as funny, witty, and loved by many. They said that was apparent, based on the many speeches at his recent memorial.
"He was a hard worker. He was in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts," Ward explained. "We’ll never have our son again and our daughters will never have a brother again."
As weeks have passed with few answers about who could be responsible for the tragedy, Ward’s family is now partnering with Crime Stoppers to offer a $5,000 reward to anyone who has information about the driver of a black or dark-colored GMC pickup seen on surveillance video.
Ward's family plans to check out the Ballard intersection where they will post more signs, and where other pedestrians say it’s an area that can be dangerous because of construction and speeders.
"I would avoid this [area] if I could," said Steven Cheek as he took his dog for a walk while charging his electric vehicle in the nearby Safeway parking lot.
The Wards explained while it feels like they're trying to catch a ghost, they remain hopeful they may get justice for Ole.
"It may even happen in a year, it may happen six months from now," Ward explained. "I’m fighting for my kid."
Ward plans to talk with lawmakers about updating a 45-year-old law so that hit-and-run offenders can get a minimum sentence. Right now, there's a max of up to 10 years in prison and up to a $20,000 fine.
Anyone with information about the driver that could lead to an arrest and charge is urged to contact Crime Stoppers, and can do so anonymously at 1-800-222-TIPS or online at www.P3tips.com.
PIERCE COUNTY - A Pierce County woman who played a key role in a violent drug trafficking ring connected to Aryan prison gangs was sentenced Friday to seven years in federal prison, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced.
C’La Morales, 39, received a total of 84 months behind bars—24 months for one count of drug trafficking, followed by 60 months for firearms possession. She will also serve five years of supervised release.
U.S. District Court Judge David Estudillo handed down the sentence.
“You took on the responsibility to distribute large quantities of controlled substances,” Estudillo said. “You had to know those were going to… lead to addiction and wreak havoc for those individuals and their families, friends, and loved ones.”
Seattle Police arrest armed drug dealer in Belltown, seize guns, drugs, cash
What were the allegations?
According to prosecutors, Morales was a “high-level drug redistributor” in a South Sound drug trafficking ring linked to white supremacist prison gangs operating inside and outside Washington state correctional facilities. She worked closely with Jesse Bailey, the ringleader of one of three interrelated criminal organizations dismantled by law enforcement. Bailey, of Renton, has pleaded guilty to drug trafficking, firearms, and money laundering charges and was sentenced to 13 years in prison.
Wiretap evidence revealed Morales was regularly purchasing and redistributing large quantities of fentanyl pills and heroin—sometimes up to 10,000 fentanyl pills and 10 ounces of heroin at a time.
“Morales was well aware of the significant fire power Jesse Bailey kept to protect his drug trafficking activities including fully automatic weapons,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a press release.
When agents searched Morales’ storage locker and vehicle, they recovered more than 5,800 fentanyl-laced counterfeit pills made to look like prescription oxycodone, 480 grams of heroin, and a loaded Mossberg shotgun with multiple boxes of 12-gauge ammunition. Authorities also found $5,183 in drug proceeds and two additional pistols with loaded magazines stashed in a lockbox inside her car, on the floorboard between the driver’s and passenger seats.
Criminal history
Prosecutors noted Morales’ extensive criminal history, including a 2019 conviction for drug trafficking while armed. She was actively evading the Pierce County drug court program when she committed the new federal crimes.
“Morales is not new to drug trafficking while armed with firearms. In 2019 she was arrested for drug trafficking while armed with a firearm that eventually resulted in convictions for unlawful possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute and unlawful possession of a firearm. Morales committed the current charges while on warrant status for the Pierce County drug court program. Thus, despite her clear drug addiction and need for treatment, it is difficult to trust that she will maintain compliance with treatment and not return to trafficking controlled substances,” the U.S. Attorney’s Office write to the court.
Morales’ case is part of a sweeping federal investigation into Aryan gang-linked drug operations in Washington and Arizona. On March 22, 2023, authorities executed a coordinated takedown involving 10 SWAT teams and more than 350 officers. That effort led to 24 federal arrests and the seizure of 177 firearms, over 25 kilos of narcotics—including fentanyl, meth, and heroin—and nearly $330,000 in cash. Earlier seizures connected to the case included 830,000 fentanyl pills and 223 pounds of methamphetamine.