Terrie Johnston, Seattle Police Crime Prevention Officer, wants to remind everyone of safe practices when dealing with solicitors at your door.

I send you this quote from an email I received from a Block Watcher last week, “We had a solicitor come by the house last night at 9:30 p.m. When I told him I was not interested he became agitated and was spouting off as he walked down the street. I also told him he should not be knocking on doors that late at night. He was completely rude and a little off.” 9-1-1 could have been called at this point to report suspicious activity. Yes, you read that right, 9-1-1 is not only for emergencies but for reporting suspicious activity. Callers will need to articulate what is suspicious about the activity, in this case, the late hour and hostility not normally associated with legitimate sales. Burglars often seek homes they believe are unoccupied. They knock on doors first to see if anyone is home. Home sales can be a cover should someone answer. You don’t know what you prevent by getting a patrol cruiser coming into the area.

SPD recommends we ‘answer’ the door, don’t ‘open’ the door. There’s a huge difference. Since burglars seek homes where occupants are away, ignoring the knock on the door may prompt a criminal to attempt entry. I read in a police report this week a homeowner was upstairs watching TV in the evening. She heard the doorbell ring several times but ignored it. Imagine what she thought when she heard the front door open and someone enter and climb the stairs. She called out and the suspect turned and fled the home. Very scary to think about how that could have ended.

And here’s more information about door-to-door sales from Seattle Police Department:

This is the peak time of year for door-to-door sales, including those using traveling sales crews. There are many legitimate companies in this industry with professionally trained salespeople, selling between the hours of 8:00am and 9:00pm, and a long history of law-abiding customer service. There are, however, less reputable companies in this business willing to take advantage of unsuspecting individuals who trust people knocking at their door. Sometimes residents forget to practice good personal safety.

Seattle Police officers respond to calls from citizens concerned about door-to-door salespeople. The results have ranged from the officers checking identification and sending the seller to the City of Seattle Revenue & Consumer Affairs office for their business license, to arrests of individuals posing as residential sellers, but wanted on warrants. There have also been arrests for aggressive behavior, threats made against the resident, burglaries, and assaults.

Homeowners may consider posting a sign indicating “No agents,” “No peddlers,” or “No Solicitors.” In Seattle, it is unlawful for any residential seller to attempt to gain admittance for the purpose of selling at any residence displaying one of these signs.

With these facts in mind, what should you do when a person knocks at your door?

BEFORE OPENING YOUR DOOR: LOOK FOR PROPER IDENTIFICATION. Acknowledge the knock since ignoring it may lead to an attempted burglary. It is preferable to speak to strangers through your door. In Seattle, all door-to-door sellers must display the residential sales identification which includes the seller’s photograph on their outer clothing. The residential sales agent’s license has the name of the licensee as well as the agent. It shall be endorsed with the type of product or service being sold. The license is only valid for the product or service specified. If you have any questions about whether a company is properly licensed, call the City of Seattle’s Office of Revenue & Consumer Affairs at 206-684-8136.

DISCLOSURE REQUIRED: Each residential seller shall, immediately upon contacting the prospective buyer, disclose their name, company and the product or service represented. If requested to do so, they shall leave the premises immediately. If the individual does not leave, or if an attempt to gain access is made by asking to use the bathroom, the phone or get a drink of water, refuse the request and ask the individual to leave. If you feel intimidated, pressured, or threatened at any time, call 911.

USE GOOD JUDGEMENT: It is safer not to allow the salesperson into your home. You are encouraged to avoid paying immediately. Do not give the salesperson cash or a check, as it may be pocketed and you will never receive the product ordered. Instead, find out from the seller how you can order directly from the company or receive the bill upon receipt of the product/service. If the salesperson is concerned about losing their commission for the sale, offer to provide their name when placing your order.

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS: In Seattle, if you make a purchase, the salesperson must tell you of your right to cancel the order and the contract must include a statement regarding the right to cancel. For each sale of ten dollars or more, the seller must provide a receipt or contract to the purchaser. Do not leave any blanks on your contract. Be sure the contract or receipt is dated and that it states the terms of the transaction, the amount of payment made and the name and address of the residential seller. It must also include a notice informing the buyer of their right to cancel the order any time prior to midnight of the third business day after the date of the transaction. A completed Notice of Cancellation (in duplicate) must be provided to the purchaser at the time they purchase from the seller. You do not need to provide a reason for canceling your order.

DO NOT GIVE IN TO HIGH PRESSURE TACTICS: Never be afraid to say “NO!” If a salesperson in your home tries to pressure you into buying their product, terminate your conversation with them. Take the time to contact the company directly if you still have interest in the product or service. Avoid making an immediate purchase in order to receive a “free gift.” If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

King County Executive Dow Constantine has ordered an inquest into the fatal police shooting of a man in Greenwood in February. Here’s the press release:

King County Executive Dow Constantine today ordered an inquest into the fatal police shooting of Jack Sun Keewatinawin on February 26, 2013.

The 21-year old was fatally shot after Seattle police responded to calls about a man holding his father hostage with a knife at a home in the 10100 block of Fourth Avenue Northwest. In a confrontation, police said the man brandished a piece of rebar and approached an officer who had slipped on wet ground. Three officers fired, hitting Keewatinawin several times.

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg recommended the inquest after his office reviewed materials from the Seattle Police Department, which conducted the investigation.

Inquests are fact-finding hearings conducted before a six-member jury. Under a standing Executive Order they are routinely called to determine the causes and circumstances of any death involving a member of any law enforcement agency within King County while in the performance of his or her duties.

Inquests provide transparency into law enforcement actions so the public may have all the facts established in a court of law. The ordering of an inquest should carry no other implication. Inquest jurors answer a series of interrogatories to determine the significant factual issues involved in the case, and it is not their purpose to determine whether any person or agency is civilly or criminally liable.

The order signed by the Executive requests King County District Court Presiding Judge Corinna Harn to assign a judge to set a date and conduct the inquest.

Seattle Police say a man was pinned between a delivery truck and the loading dock early this morning at the QFC on Holman Road Northwest. From the SPD Blotter:

Just after 5:00 this morning, a delivery truck driver backed her truck into the loading dock area behind the QFC at 9999 Holman Road NW. The driver got out of her truck and walked into the store to get an employee to assist her with unloading. When the driver and the employee returned to the truck they saw the man pinned between the loading dock and truck.

The workers immediately called 911 and Seattle Fire and police responded. The victim, an adult male, was transported to Harborview Medical Center via SFD medics with life-threatening injuries.

Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) responded, processed the scene, and have begun their investigation. Whenever it is possible, a Drug Recognition Expert (DRE) officer will respond to the scene to evalute the driver in serious injury collisions. In this case, the driver did not show any signs of impairment at all and has been cooperating with the investigation. This remains an active and on-going TCIS investigation.

Update: Here’s more info from the SPD Blotter:

Seattle Police officers were called to assist Seattle Fire while they were attempting to treat a man earlier this morning in the 700 Block of North 85th Street. As SFD was attempting to evaluate him, he began combative and mentioned a rifle. The man ran further into the house while the firefighters grabbed the unloaded rifle and retreated from the house.

Seattle Police arrived and set up containment around 9:45 this morning. SWAT officers and negotiators arrived and attempted to establish contact with the man. The man eventually came out on his own and was evaluated by Seattle Fire. He was then transported to the hospital for further treatment.

Update 11 .m.: The Seattle Times reports the man has left the building and is being examined by medics.

Earlier: Seattle Police are on scene at North 85th Street and Linden Avenue North right now, negotiating with a man who has barricaded himself inside a building.

A negotiator with a loudspeaker could be heard asking the man to pick up the phone and talk.

An officer on scene said it wasn’t known if the man had any weapons.

North 85th Street is blocked in both directions, and Linden is shut down one block in either direction.

Seattle Police say a man robbed the Key Bank on Holman Road NW in Greenwood/Crown Hill on Saturday afternoon. From the SPD Blotter:

Officers are looking for a man that robbed a Key Bank in North Seattle… At approximately 12:48 p.m. officers responded to a report of a bank robbery in the 9700 block of Holman Road NW. Preliminary investigation indicates that a male suspect entered the bank, implied he had a gun (although no gun was seen) and produced a note demanding money. The suspect left with an undisclosed amount of cash and remains at large (the suspect was gone upon officers’ arrival in the area). Nobody was injured during the robbery.

The suspect is described as a thin white male, late 50′s to 60′s, six feet tall, gray hair, clean shaven, and last seen wearing aviator sunglasses, a red, black and white driving cap, a dark navy blue jacket with a white-collared shirt underneath.

Anyone with information about this incident or who may know the identity or whereabouts of the suspect is asked to call 911 or Seattle Police and refer to this incident. Anonymous tips are welcome.

This remains an active and on-going robbery investigation.

Seattle Police officers responded to Greenwood Park at North 87th Street and Fremont Avenue North just after 9:30 last night, after a witness reported someone firing a handgun into the air.

Det. Mark Jamieson tells me the witness told officers he saw five black teenagers hanging around in the park, then saw one of them fire the gun. That teen then got into an older gray Honda and took off. The other four teens walked southbound on Fremont Avenue.

Officers recovered several shell casings at the scene, but were unable to locate the teens or the car.

Seattle Police have arrested a suspect in a home invasion in Greenwood and a series of violent armed robberies in another part of the city.

From the SPD Blotter:

Seattle police have arrested a man suspected in a series of violent armed robberies in the East Precinct, and a home invasion in Greenwood.

Detectives believe the man opened fire inside a home during a January 20th home invasion robbery at 92nd and Greenwood, and pulled a gun on several victims and threatened to shoot them during several holdups in the East Precinct over the last month.
On Sunday, patrol officers spotted the 19-year-old suspect near Mount Baker and chased after him on foot. Officers were able to catch up to him, arrest him, and book him into the King County Jail for robbery.

Officers also found a handgun not far from where they arrested the man.

Update Tuesday: Here’s SPD’s full account from the Blotter:

SWAT and police negotiators responded to a strange call yesterday evening which resulted in the arrest of an 20-year-old man after a brief standoff.

Just before 6:00 pm, officers responded to the 200 Block of N. 85th Street for a call of a 17-year-old girl being held against her will in an apartment by a man with a gun. This was a follow up to a reported robbery that occurred the day before in the 9200 Block of Greenwood Avenue North.

On Sunday, shortly after 3:00 pm, the female victim was at her apartment on Greenwood when a friend of hers asked to come over.

The 20-year-old man brought an unknown male with him and the three visited for a while in the apartment. As the two men were getting ready to leave, the unknown male pulled out a gun and demanded that she hand over cash. As the suspect was pulling out the gun, the victim stated that the gun went off. There were no injuries. The victim handed over the money and the two suspects left. The victim called 911 and North Precinct officers responded to investigate. The suspects were not located, although officers received information on the friend and there was probable cause to arrest for robbery.

On Monday, just before 6:00 pm, a friend of the victim called 911 to report that her friend, the victim, was inside the apartment in the 200 Block of N. 85th, being held by the 20-year-old suspect. The complainant reported that she and the victim had been texting each other, and that the victim told her via text that the suspect was in the apartment with her, armed with a gun, and she could not leave.

Officers responded to the location and set up containment. Because this was a potential armed, barricaded situation, SWAT and negotiators were called to the scene. After a short standoff, the 20-year-old suspect was taken into custody without incident.
Officers interviewed the victim later. She stated that the suspect had come over to that location earlier in the day and that they had been hanging out for several hours. When the victim’s friends came over and knocked on the door, the suspect told the victim not to open the door or she would go to jail. The suspect told the victim he had a gun, although the victim never actually saw one. That is when she began texting her friend who later called 911.

No gun was located at the scene. There were no injuries.

The 20-year-old suspect was later booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Robbery from the Sunday incident, and Investigation of Unlawful Imprisonment.

Update 8:56 p.m.: Seattle Police Det. Mark Jamieson tells me that officers responded to an apartment above Gorditos restaurant around 6:30 tonight, after receiving a report that a woman was being held against her will by a man armed with a gun. Det. Jamieson said there may have been a second suspect; SWAT teams were still clearing the apartment and trying to sort out a very confusing situation.

SWAT teams and hostage negotiators were called in, and everyone eventually came out of the apartment. The 18-year-old male suspect was taken into custody; the female victim (age unknown right now) was unhurt.

Thank you to Silver for the voicemail, texts and Forum updates, and for many other people who emailed tips and posted info in the Forum!

Update 8:48 p.m.: I just spoke with SPD. Details in just a moment…

Update 8:30 p.m.: Silver writes in the Forum that she heard on the scanner the suspect is in custody. And SPD tweeted at 8:40 p.m.: “Suspect in custody, SWAT clearing apartment now, more info later.”

Earlier: We’re hearing reports of a major police response to 85th and Greenwood. Several PhinneyWood readers have told us they’ve seen numerous police cars and SWAT vans in the area.

Seattle Police tweeted that it’s a barricade situation in the 200 block of North 85th Street, and that both SWAT teams and negotiators are on the scene. North 85th Street is closed between Greenwood Avenue North and 3rd Avenue NW.

Our scanner tipster, Silver, and several other people are posting up-to-the-second updates in the Forum.

Broadview-Thomson K-8 School, at 13052 Greenwood Ave. N., is one of four Seattle schools to receive school zone speed cameras to increase student safety.

The cameras went live on Thursday. Besides Broadview-Thomson, the cameras were installed at Thurgood Marshall Elementary School, Olympic View Elementary School and Gatewood Elementary School.

The sites were chosen after Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) analyzed 50 schools where they had installed flashing beacons to encourage drivers to go the speed limit through the school zone, and determined those four school zones would get the most benefit from reduced speeds and better speed enforcement.

The cameras will only issue tickets when the school zone yellow beacons are flashing (during school hours). A written warning period will be in effect from November 1st to November 26th. During the written warning period only warning citations will be mailed to violators caught speeding in the listed school zones.

Starting on Monday, November 26th, which is the day kids return from Thanksgiving break, actual citations (tickets) will be mailed to motorists who disregard the speed limit in the monitored school zones. The fine amount will be a fixed $189.00, the same cost as a ticket that would otherwise be issued by an officer.

The goal of this program is not to issue tickets, but to improve safety and reduce collisions by raising awareness that speeding in school zones is particularly dangerous for children and pedestrians.

The Seattle Police Department encourages all motor vehicle operators and bicyclists to be familiar with and obey all local and state traffic laws and to always drive with due regard for all others on the roadway.

Seattle Police had to deal with two incidents on Aurora Avenue North at the east edge of Woodland Park Zoo last night. First, a pedestrian trying to cross Aurora was hit by a car. Then, while investigating, a suspected DUI driver tried to drive around the roadblock and hit a police car.

Here’s what the SPD Blotter had to say about the first incident.

An adult man attempting to cross the 5900 Block of Aurora Avenue North last night was struck by a car travelling southbound, causing life-threatening injuries.

At about 9:15 last night, the pedestrian was attempting to cross Aurora when he was hit by a Subaru travelling southbound. The pedestrian sustained life-threatening injuries and was transported to Harborview Medical Center by Seattle Fire Department Medics. The driver of the Subaru was evaluated at the scene by a Drug Recognition Expert officer, and it was determined that there were no signs of intoxication on the part of the driver. The driver was interviewed and released from the scene, pending further investigation. The Subaru was impounded as evidence. Detectives from the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) responded to the scene and began their investigation. This remains an active and on-going TCIS investigation.

And then this:

While officers were busy investigating the earlier mentioned car/pedestrian collision on Aurora, a female driver and her passenger attempted to drive past the patrol cars and police line on Aurora, and ended up striking the rear of one of the patrol cars. The driver then continued to drive while her car was straddling the center median before she was stopped by detectives in the next block.

Despite the fact that there were patrol cars with flashing lights, police tape, flares, and traffic cones all put in place to direct traffic and protect the crime scene, the female driver and her passenger drove through the scene at approximately 25 mph, and struck the rear bumper of the patrol car. The driver was able to drive her car while straddling the median, before finally being stopped by Traffic Collision Investigation Squad (TCIS) detectives at N. 60th and Aurora. The driver was evaluated and processed for DUI. The female passenger in the car was arrested for obstructing and outstanding warrants. The officer who was seated in the struck patrol car was treated for minor injuries at a local hospital and released.

Seattle Police say a Greenwood resident helped them arrest four suspected car prowlers early this morning. From the SPD Blotter:

An alert resident saw two suspicious men in the secure parking garage of his apartment complex in Greenwood early this morning and called 911. The caller reported that he was watching them just before 5:00 am as they looked into cars and entered at least one near N. 105th St. and Greenwood Avenue North. The caller remained on the line with 911 and stated that one of the men left the garage and went to a car parked out on the street. Officers arrived quickly and located the two suspects, along with two female passengers that were in the car. The caller verified that officers were talking to the correct suspects. The car the suspects had arrived in was missing both license plates and it was determined to have been reported stolen out of Marysville. The car contained numerous backpacks and electronic items, presumably stolen. The car was impounded to the processing room. The car inside the garage that the suspects had entered had significant damage to the ignition and a screwdriver was recovered. The suspects also had numerous car keys in their possession.

The two male suspects were arrested and booked into the King County Jail for Investigation of Auto Theft and Burglary. The two female suspects were booked into jail for their outstanding warrants. Burglary and Auto Theft detectives will handle the follow up investigation.

Seattle Police say a man was assaulted and robbed by two men after he wouldn’t give them money Wednesday night. More information from the SPD Blotter.

A man was assaulted and robbed by two unknown men last night at North 80th and Greenwood Avenue North. At about 9:00 pm, the man was walking in the 8000 Block of Greenwood when he was approached by a stranger who asked him for spare change. The victim told the man he didn’t have any. The suspect then struck the victim several times in the face. Another man then approached and also began hitting the victim in the face, causing him to fall to the sidewalk. Both suspects continued to hit and kick the victim. At one point, one of the suspects took the victim’s wallet. Both suspects then fled southbound.

Officers contacted the victim and conducted an area search for the suspects and any possible witnesses. Unfortunately they were not located. The Seattle Fire Department treated the victim for his injuries and he was later checked out at a local hospital. The description of the suspects is very limited. The first is described as a black male, in his twenties, 5′-9″ 180 pounds. The second suspect is described only as a male wearing a blue puffy jacket and a black beanie. This case will be assigned to the Robbery Unit for follow up.