By JOHN DISCEPOLO and KOMO-TV STAFF
The former King County Sheriff's deputy on his second trial for assault says his alleged victim is to blame for his behavior.
Paul Schene has been charged with fourth-degree assault in the beating of a 15-year-old girl in a holding cell in November 2009.
On the witness stand on Monday, Schene said the victim, Malika Calhoun, assaulted him by kicking off her shoe at him. That shoe was entered as evidence on Monday as Schene told the jury the teen was trying to provoke him with her belligerent behavior.
"She referred to my wife as a prostitute, and said that she had seen my wife out on Pacific Highway," he told the jury. "It seemed like she was trying to piss us off, upset us and antagonize us."
However, Calhoun alleged the opposite when she took the stand last week. The teen admitted she insulted the then-deputy in the minutes before the jail cell attack caught on tape, but said she was only responding to the insults he'd thrown at her.
"He said, 'Well, you're working on the streets. You can work for it' -- (he was implying) that I was a prostitute," she said.
Schene had stopped Calhoun and her friend in a stolen car taken from the woman she lived with at the time. What happened next as Schene put Calhoun in the holding cell has been at the center of a months-long controversy.
Surveillance video captured the attack against Calhoun, who was 15 at the time. The footage shows Schene rush in, kick the girl, force her against a wall, then throw her to the ground. He is also seen punching her twice.
Last week, the prosecutor said Schene later downplayed the incident when he completed the mandatory use-of-force report for his supervisor: "She kicked one of her shoes off, hitting me in the right shin leg, causing me injury and pain. I placed Calhoun in handcuffs, and placed her back on a bench."
Schene said he rushed into the cell when he saw Calhoun kick a shoe toward his groin, and appeared ready to flick the other one.
In court last week, Calhoun admitted she'd aimed her shoe at the then-deputy, because she was mad at Schene over the way he was talking to her.
King County Sheriff Sue Rahr fired Schene last year for multiple violations of department policy, including excessive force.
Schene's first assault trial ended with a hung jury.
Closing arguments will be presented on Tuesday.
Comment on this story at KOMO.
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Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
More Belltown violence: Man shot in neck
KOMO-TV STAFF
One man is hospitalized with gunshot wounds to the neck and two other men are under arrest following a drive-by shooting early Sunday in Belltown.
The shooting was the third violent incident in Belltown this weekend.
Officers responded to the scene, in the 500 block of Wall Street, at about 3:30 a.m. after receiving a 911 call about shots fired.
When officers arrived they found a man lying on the ground in front of the building. He had been shot in the neck, just below the jaw, and was rushed to Harborview Medical Center.
An investigation found that the victim and friends had been at a club in the 300 block of First Avenue North.
When they left the club, they noticed a white Camaro following them. The victim and friends were standing out in front of a building when the Camaro drove by and someone from the car fired several shots, police said.
A witness called 911 and gave a good description of the car. An officer waited by the Howell Street on-ramp to Interstate 5 and spotted the Camaro as it pulled onto the freeway.
The officer followed the Camaro as it headed south on I-5 and drove onto the collector-distributor lanes. The car was eventually stopped near South Dearborn Street.
The two occupants were taken into custody without incident. Two witnesses to the shooting positively identified the vehicle.
Officers then backtracked the route of the white Camaro and found a pistol on the roadway that is believed to be the one used in the shooting.
The suspects were booked into King County Jail for investigation of assault. Police say they believe the victim was the intended target of the gunmen.
In the other Belltown incidents this weekend:
• On Friday night, an apartment manager was stabbed in the arm on Friday night as he tried to remove a group of people from the building.
• On Sunday morning at 2:40 a.m. a man was assaulted by four other men when he confronted them about making "cat-calls" at his girlfriend.
• Also, on June 6, a man was shot dead and another was critically injured outside the V Club in Belltown in a shooting that was caught on home video.
One man is hospitalized with gunshot wounds to the neck and two other men are under arrest following a drive-by shooting early Sunday in Belltown.
The shooting was the third violent incident in Belltown this weekend.
Officers responded to the scene, in the 500 block of Wall Street, at about 3:30 a.m. after receiving a 911 call about shots fired.
When officers arrived they found a man lying on the ground in front of the building. He had been shot in the neck, just below the jaw, and was rushed to Harborview Medical Center.
An investigation found that the victim and friends had been at a club in the 300 block of First Avenue North.
When they left the club, they noticed a white Camaro following them. The victim and friends were standing out in front of a building when the Camaro drove by and someone from the car fired several shots, police said.
A witness called 911 and gave a good description of the car. An officer waited by the Howell Street on-ramp to Interstate 5 and spotted the Camaro as it pulled onto the freeway.
The officer followed the Camaro as it headed south on I-5 and drove onto the collector-distributor lanes. The car was eventually stopped near South Dearborn Street.
The two occupants were taken into custody without incident. Two witnesses to the shooting positively identified the vehicle.
Officers then backtracked the route of the white Camaro and found a pistol on the roadway that is believed to be the one used in the shooting.
The suspects were booked into King County Jail for investigation of assault. Police say they believe the victim was the intended target of the gunmen.
In the other Belltown incidents this weekend:
• On Friday night, an apartment manager was stabbed in the arm on Friday night as he tried to remove a group of people from the building.
• On Sunday morning at 2:40 a.m. a man was assaulted by four other men when he confronted them about making "cat-calls" at his girlfriend.
• Also, on June 6, a man was shot dead and another was critically injured outside the V Club in Belltown in a shooting that was caught on home video.
Saturday, June 19, 2010
Teen girl arrested for armed robbery KOMO-TV STAFF
KOMO-TV STAFF
A teenage girl was arrested Friday afternoon after she and two others robbed a boy of $20 at gunpoint, but the other suspects are still at large.
Seattle police were called to an apartment complex at Rainier and Fontanelle a little before 4 p.m. on a report of an armed robbery. The victim told officers that he was walking through the complex when three people, a male and two females, approached him. He said the male grabbed him and demanded, "give me something", while one of the females displayed a handgun.
The victim gave the male $20, after which he was let go. He then ran home and called 911 to report the incident.
Soon after, officers spotted a teen girl at Rainier and Myrtle who matched the description given by the victim. She was contacted and arrested without incident. The handgun, which was discovered to be an airsoft pellet gun, was also recovered in the arrest. She was taken to the Youth Service Center.
A search of the area failed to turn up the other two suspects.
A teenage girl was arrested Friday afternoon after she and two others robbed a boy of $20 at gunpoint, but the other suspects are still at large.
Seattle police were called to an apartment complex at Rainier and Fontanelle a little before 4 p.m. on a report of an armed robbery. The victim told officers that he was walking through the complex when three people, a male and two females, approached him. He said the male grabbed him and demanded, "give me something", while one of the females displayed a handgun.
The victim gave the male $20, after which he was let go. He then ran home and called 911 to report the incident.
Soon after, officers spotted a teen girl at Rainier and Myrtle who matched the description given by the victim. She was contacted and arrested without incident. The handgun, which was discovered to be an airsoft pellet gun, was also recovered in the arrest. She was taken to the Youth Service Center.
A search of the area failed to turn up the other two suspects.
Thursday, June 17, 2010
Felon charged in fatal shooting of 12-year-old boy in Skyway
A felon who police say fatally shot a 12-year-old boy in Skyway after mistaking him for someone else was charged with first-degree murder Thursday.
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
A felon who police say fatally shot a 12-year-old boy in Skyway after mistaking him for someone else was charged Thursday with first-degree murder.
Curtis Walker, 35, was arrested last month after King County sheriff's investigators told the state Department of Corrections that the man might have a firearm in his possession. Walker, who was on probation and forbidden from having firearms, was arrested at his Des Moines home on May 14, according to Chad Lewis, spokesman for the Department of Corrections (DOC).
The Prosecutor's Office held a news conference Thursday morning to announce the murder charge.
Alajawan Brown had just gotten off a Metro bus on April 29 and was walking in the parking lot of the Cedar Village Apartments, 6230 S. 129th St., when he was struck by gunfire. The boy ran to a nearby 7-Eleven, where he died.
Authorities said Walker mistakenly believed Alajawan was someone he had a dispute with when he opened fire in the parking lot. Authorities say that a total of 20 gunshots were fired, striking Alajawan and an unidentified man.
That man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and survived.
It's unclear who shot that man.
According to court records, Walker was convicted in June 2006 of fourth-degree assault, harassment, drug possession and illegal possession of a firearm. According to a Seattle police report, he told his girlfriend that he was "a contract killer" and then threatened to kill her because she knew too much.
Police had found a semi-automatic handgun and cocaine rocks in his sweatpants pocket, prosecutors said. Officers also found marijuana in a pocket of his vest, charging papers said.
Walker pleaded guilty and was given a Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative (DOSA), in which a portion of his prison sentence was suspended so he could attend treatment. He was also ordered to serve probation.
Walker also has four prior convictions for assault, as well as convictions for drug possession, malicious mischief, reckless endangerment, harassment, obstruction, trespassing and violation of a protection order, according to charging documents filed in King County Superior Court.
Walker was arrested by the DOC last month for violating the terms of his probation, Lewis said. Probation officers confronted the man at his home after King County sheriff's deputies notified corrections officials that they had seen him on some sort of video with a gun, Lewis said.
Since May, Walker has been held at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton and was sentenced by the DOC to remain behind bars until Sept. 4.
During a prayer vigil on May 5, Louketa Brown, one of Alajawan's six siblings, and other family members described the victim as a boy who loved family, drumming and playing football with his Renton Area Athletic Association football team, the Renton Rangers. He was returning home after buying football cleats when he was killed.
Information from Seattle Times archives is included in this report.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
By Jennifer Sullivan
Seattle Times staff reporter
A felon who police say fatally shot a 12-year-old boy in Skyway after mistaking him for someone else was charged Thursday with first-degree murder.
Curtis Walker, 35, was arrested last month after King County sheriff's investigators told the state Department of Corrections that the man might have a firearm in his possession. Walker, who was on probation and forbidden from having firearms, was arrested at his Des Moines home on May 14, according to Chad Lewis, spokesman for the Department of Corrections (DOC).
The Prosecutor's Office held a news conference Thursday morning to announce the murder charge.
Alajawan Brown had just gotten off a Metro bus on April 29 and was walking in the parking lot of the Cedar Village Apartments, 6230 S. 129th St., when he was struck by gunfire. The boy ran to a nearby 7-Eleven, where he died.
Authorities said Walker mistakenly believed Alajawan was someone he had a dispute with when he opened fire in the parking lot. Authorities say that a total of 20 gunshots were fired, striking Alajawan and an unidentified man.
That man was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle and survived.
It's unclear who shot that man.
According to court records, Walker was convicted in June 2006 of fourth-degree assault, harassment, drug possession and illegal possession of a firearm. According to a Seattle police report, he told his girlfriend that he was "a contract killer" and then threatened to kill her because she knew too much.
Police had found a semi-automatic handgun and cocaine rocks in his sweatpants pocket, prosecutors said. Officers also found marijuana in a pocket of his vest, charging papers said.
Walker pleaded guilty and was given a Drug Offender Sentencing Alternative (DOSA), in which a portion of his prison sentence was suspended so he could attend treatment. He was also ordered to serve probation.
Walker also has four prior convictions for assault, as well as convictions for drug possession, malicious mischief, reckless endangerment, harassment, obstruction, trespassing and violation of a protection order, according to charging documents filed in King County Superior Court.
Walker was arrested by the DOC last month for violating the terms of his probation, Lewis said. Probation officers confronted the man at his home after King County sheriff's deputies notified corrections officials that they had seen him on some sort of video with a gun, Lewis said.
Since May, Walker has been held at the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton and was sentenced by the DOC to remain behind bars until Sept. 4.
During a prayer vigil on May 5, Louketa Brown, one of Alajawan's six siblings, and other family members described the victim as a boy who loved family, drumming and playing football with his Renton Area Athletic Association football team, the Renton Rangers. He was returning home after buying football cleats when he was killed.
Information from Seattle Times archives is included in this report.
Jennifer Sullivan: 206-464-8294 or jensullivan@seattletimes.com
Bellevue Police nab axe-wielding man who smashed collection agency
By BELLEVUE REPORTER
Bellevue police last night arrested the man who allegedly smashed the front door of a local collection agency with an axe Tuesday morning.
Police responded to multiple 911 calls about the incident around 9:30 a.m. and began searching for the suspect with help from a K9 team and a King County Sheriff's helicopter.
A receptionist at the collection agency, located in an office park on the 1400 block of 114th Ave. SE, saw the man hitting the door and side glass panes. Shards of glass flew across the room and hit her.
The suspect returned to his workplace in Kent and told coworkers what he had done, police said. Employees at the aerospace-related company heard reports of the incident and called authorities.
Detectives arrested the man without incident. He confessed to the crime and showed officers the axe, which was in the bushes by his office, according to police.
The suspect also admitted to spray painting the word "shyster" on the street in front of the home of one of the collection agency's employees, police said.
Records indicate the man was upset about his wages being garnished, according to police. He is in King County Jail and will be charged later this week.
Bellevue police last night arrested the man who allegedly smashed the front door of a local collection agency with an axe Tuesday morning.
Police responded to multiple 911 calls about the incident around 9:30 a.m. and began searching for the suspect with help from a K9 team and a King County Sheriff's helicopter.
A receptionist at the collection agency, located in an office park on the 1400 block of 114th Ave. SE, saw the man hitting the door and side glass panes. Shards of glass flew across the room and hit her.
The suspect returned to his workplace in Kent and told coworkers what he had done, police said. Employees at the aerospace-related company heard reports of the incident and called authorities.
Detectives arrested the man without incident. He confessed to the crime and showed officers the axe, which was in the bushes by his office, according to police.
The suspect also admitted to spray painting the word "shyster" on the street in front of the home of one of the collection agency's employees, police said.
Records indicate the man was upset about his wages being garnished, according to police. He is in King County Jail and will be charged later this week.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Suspected squatter of $3.2 million Kirkland home arrested for criminal trespass
By CARRIE WOOD
KIRKLAND REPORTER
Kirkland Police have arrested a 30-year-old woman suspected of squatting in a $3.2 million waterfront home in Kirkland.
The woman was arrested at the home, located at 435 Eighth Ave. West, and booked in the City of Kirkland jail Tuesday.
The house located in the Market neighborhood, was at the center of a dispute between the woman, a Bellevue real estate agent and the bank.
The woman, who moved into the home more than a week ago, told police and neighbors that she owned the home. The women showed police false documents when they came to the house to investigate on June 6, said Kirkland Detective Allan O’Neill.
A thorough investigation of tax logs, utility bills and asset records revealed that First Citizens Bank is the lawful owner of the home. The bank served the woman an eviction notice last week and on Tuesday, Kirkland Police arrived at the residence with bank officials to assist in returning the home back over to the bank.
When police arrived, the woman was not in the house, but she arrived shortly after and was arrested for criminal trespass and booked into jail.
The Reporter will update this story as more details become available.
KIRKLAND REPORTER
Kirkland Police have arrested a 30-year-old woman suspected of squatting in a $3.2 million waterfront home in Kirkland.
The woman was arrested at the home, located at 435 Eighth Ave. West, and booked in the City of Kirkland jail Tuesday.
The house located in the Market neighborhood, was at the center of a dispute between the woman, a Bellevue real estate agent and the bank.
The woman, who moved into the home more than a week ago, told police and neighbors that she owned the home. The women showed police false documents when they came to the house to investigate on June 6, said Kirkland Detective Allan O’Neill.
A thorough investigation of tax logs, utility bills and asset records revealed that First Citizens Bank is the lawful owner of the home. The bank served the woman an eviction notice last week and on Tuesday, Kirkland Police arrived at the residence with bank officials to assist in returning the home back over to the bank.
When police arrived, the woman was not in the house, but she arrived shortly after and was arrested for criminal trespass and booked into jail.
The Reporter will update this story as more details become available.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Homicide probe after dead man found in burning home
KOMO-TV STAFF
A man was found dead inside a Spanaway duplex early Sunday after crews responded to a fire there, and the Sheriff's Office is investigating the death as a homicide.
Crews from Central Pierce Fire & Rescue responded to the scene, in the 300 block of Field Road East in Spanaway, at about 1 a.m.
The fire was a minor one and was quickly extinguished - but crews found the body of a 21-year-old man inside the home who had suffered a violent death, said Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ed Troyer.
The man was already dead before the fire started, and Troyer said it appears he was killed and then the fire was started by the killer in an attempt to cover it up.
According to family members at the scene, the victim's throat was slit, but officials would not confirm the cause of death, other than to say it was violent - but not a gunshot wound.
Troyer said one or two possible suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made. He said the motive is under investigation.
But family members told KOMO News that the victim may have been killed in a dispute over a woman.
The woman who owns the duplex was not there because she is currently at Western State Hospital, according to family members.
Family members also said that the 21-year-old victim had attended a barbecue at a friend's house on Saturday night, but the host asked him to leave after he became drunk and obnoxious.
The man left the barbecue without incident, and an hour or two later he was found dead inside the Spanaway duplex.
Comment on this story at KOMO.
A man was found dead inside a Spanaway duplex early Sunday after crews responded to a fire there, and the Sheriff's Office is investigating the death as a homicide.
Crews from Central Pierce Fire & Rescue responded to the scene, in the 300 block of Field Road East in Spanaway, at about 1 a.m.
The fire was a minor one and was quickly extinguished - but crews found the body of a 21-year-old man inside the home who had suffered a violent death, said Pierce County Sheriff's Office spokesman Ed Troyer.
The man was already dead before the fire started, and Troyer said it appears he was killed and then the fire was started by the killer in an attempt to cover it up.
According to family members at the scene, the victim's throat was slit, but officials would not confirm the cause of death, other than to say it was violent - but not a gunshot wound.
Troyer said one or two possible suspects have been identified, and no arrests have been made. He said the motive is under investigation.
But family members told KOMO News that the victim may have been killed in a dispute over a woman.
The woman who owns the duplex was not there because she is currently at Western State Hospital, according to family members.
Family members also said that the 21-year-old victim had attended a barbecue at a friend's house on Saturday night, but the host asked him to leave after he became drunk and obnoxious.
The man left the barbecue without incident, and an hour or two later he was found dead inside the Spanaway duplex.
Comment on this story at KOMO.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Suspect in South Sound espresso stand robberies arrested
KOMO-TV STAFF
A man suspected in a string of coffee stand robberies has been arrested.
Pierce County Det. Ed Troyer said detectives, following a tip, tracked down the suspect's car and pulled him over at approximately 9:30 p.m. The two people who were riding in the car were both taken in for questioning, and the suspect was placed under arrest.
The unidentified man is suspected in a a dozen robberies that have occurred in the area in recent months, most recently late Thursday morning.
Troyer said the robber had a gun and was wearing a red bandana. The robber was not successful at the first location, but was at the second one, Troyer said.
A dozen similar robberies that have occurred around the South Sound area since March, eight of which have occurred in the past two weeks. Café Elite in Fircrest was hit on Wednesday, and the incident was captured on surveillance tape.
The footage shows just as the stand was opening at 5 a.m., a man in a hooded sweatshirt and mask race up to and climb through the stand's window, gun drawn, as the barista set the tip jar outside the window.
Inside, video shows the robber stuffing cash from the register into a sack. Then, the robber points the gun at the barista as he yells at her to get into the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, the barista said the robber pulled electrical tape out of his bag and tied her up.
Moments later, the lights go out and the robber goes back to the register. At one point he makes a mistake and takes off his bandana, giving the camera a brief glimpse of his face.
As he walks out a side door, an outdoor camera captured him pulling down his hood, revealing a bald head.
The stand's owner says the barista was tied up in the bathroom for about five minutes, and when she heard the robber leave, she untied herself and ran to a nearby restaurant to call 911.
In some of the robberies, the robber has stolen the barista's car, driven it a few blocks away and ditched it. Police say it shows these are calculated crimes; they think the robber is parking his car somewhere else so it's not caught on camera and using the barista's car to get back to his own.
A man suspected in a string of coffee stand robberies has been arrested.
Pierce County Det. Ed Troyer said detectives, following a tip, tracked down the suspect's car and pulled him over at approximately 9:30 p.m. The two people who were riding in the car were both taken in for questioning, and the suspect was placed under arrest.
The unidentified man is suspected in a a dozen robberies that have occurred in the area in recent months, most recently late Thursday morning.
Troyer said the robber had a gun and was wearing a red bandana. The robber was not successful at the first location, but was at the second one, Troyer said.
A dozen similar robberies that have occurred around the South Sound area since March, eight of which have occurred in the past two weeks. Café Elite in Fircrest was hit on Wednesday, and the incident was captured on surveillance tape.
The footage shows just as the stand was opening at 5 a.m., a man in a hooded sweatshirt and mask race up to and climb through the stand's window, gun drawn, as the barista set the tip jar outside the window.
Inside, video shows the robber stuffing cash from the register into a sack. Then, the robber points the gun at the barista as he yells at her to get into the bathroom. Once in the bathroom, the barista said the robber pulled electrical tape out of his bag and tied her up.
Moments later, the lights go out and the robber goes back to the register. At one point he makes a mistake and takes off his bandana, giving the camera a brief glimpse of his face.
As he walks out a side door, an outdoor camera captured him pulling down his hood, revealing a bald head.
The stand's owner says the barista was tied up in the bathroom for about five minutes, and when she heard the robber leave, she untied herself and ran to a nearby restaurant to call 911.
In some of the robberies, the robber has stolen the barista's car, driven it a few blocks away and ditched it. Police say it shows these are calculated crimes; they think the robber is parking his car somewhere else so it's not caught on camera and using the barista's car to get back to his own.
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Puyallup cop charged in road rage incident
By MARTHA KANG
KOMO-TV STAFF
A Puyallup police officer has been charged in a road rage incident that occurred over Memorial Day weekend.
Mark Delight has been charged with second-degree assault and reckless driving in an incident in which the officer, during his off-duty hours, allegedly chased down another driver and threatened him with a gun.
Investigators said Delight called in on May 31 and said he was following a hit-and-run suspect in an unmarked car and needed backup.
Delight told officers trouble began when he was stopped at an intersection earlier in the day, and the driver in the car behind him honked the horn.
Delight said he "saw that his light had turned green while his attention was elsewhere," and "flipped off the driver behind him" before proceeding, according to the statement of probable cause.
The officer said the driver behind him then passed him "in a reckless manner," then "slammed on his brakes," causing Delight to "'lightly' rear end" the vehicle, the document said.
The driver then took off, weaving in and out of traffic recklessly, Delight said, ultimately turning his vehicle around to strike Delight's vehicle.
When later questioned by detectives, Delight changed his story and said the other driver was making a U-turn when Delight himself "ran into (the car) on the driver's side," adding he only struck the victim because he believed the victim was about to strike him.
The hit driver admitted he'd honked his horn at Delight. He added he'd then passed him, and slowed, because he wanted to return Delight's "flip off," the statement said. But when he slowed, Delight rear-ended him, he said.
The driver said he then saw Delight reaching for something in his vehicle, he told investigators. Fearful he was reaching for a weapon, he took off, wanting to avoid further confrontation, he said.
While speeding off, however, he noticed he was being followed by Delight. In an attempt to lose the car, the driver said he decided to make a U-turn in the 7400 block of 112th Street East. As he turned, however, Delight struck him on the driver side, he told investigators.
The impact of the crash sent the hit car spinning, the driver said, and when it finally came to rest, he saw Delight exiting his car with his gun drawn.
"It was not until Delight had (the driver) on the ground with his gun pointing at him that he realized Delight was a police officer," according to the statement.
Detectives said they've found evidence on the scene that corroborates the hit driver's story. They believe "when (the hit driver) was making his U-turn, Delight crossed the entire oncoming lane and past the shoulder of the road in order to strike (him) on the driver's side of the vehicle," the document said.
Prosecutors said Delight could face additional charges.
KOMO-TV STAFF
A Puyallup police officer has been charged in a road rage incident that occurred over Memorial Day weekend.
Mark Delight has been charged with second-degree assault and reckless driving in an incident in which the officer, during his off-duty hours, allegedly chased down another driver and threatened him with a gun.
Investigators said Delight called in on May 31 and said he was following a hit-and-run suspect in an unmarked car and needed backup.
Delight told officers trouble began when he was stopped at an intersection earlier in the day, and the driver in the car behind him honked the horn.
Delight said he "saw that his light had turned green while his attention was elsewhere," and "flipped off the driver behind him" before proceeding, according to the statement of probable cause.
The officer said the driver behind him then passed him "in a reckless manner," then "slammed on his brakes," causing Delight to "'lightly' rear end" the vehicle, the document said.
The driver then took off, weaving in and out of traffic recklessly, Delight said, ultimately turning his vehicle around to strike Delight's vehicle.
When later questioned by detectives, Delight changed his story and said the other driver was making a U-turn when Delight himself "ran into (the car) on the driver's side," adding he only struck the victim because he believed the victim was about to strike him.
The hit driver admitted he'd honked his horn at Delight. He added he'd then passed him, and slowed, because he wanted to return Delight's "flip off," the statement said. But when he slowed, Delight rear-ended him, he said.
The driver said he then saw Delight reaching for something in his vehicle, he told investigators. Fearful he was reaching for a weapon, he took off, wanting to avoid further confrontation, he said.
While speeding off, however, he noticed he was being followed by Delight. In an attempt to lose the car, the driver said he decided to make a U-turn in the 7400 block of 112th Street East. As he turned, however, Delight struck him on the driver side, he told investigators.
The impact of the crash sent the hit car spinning, the driver said, and when it finally came to rest, he saw Delight exiting his car with his gun drawn.
"It was not until Delight had (the driver) on the ground with his gun pointing at him that he realized Delight was a police officer," according to the statement.
Detectives said they've found evidence on the scene that corroborates the hit driver's story. They believe "when (the hit driver) was making his U-turn, Delight crossed the entire oncoming lane and past the shoulder of the road in order to strike (him) on the driver's side of the vehicle," the document said.
Prosecutors said Delight could face additional charges.
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Fleeing suspect rams two cop cars in Lake City
KOMO-TV STAFF
A suspect rammed two police cars with a dark '90s-vintage Cadillac while fleeing the scene of a car prowl early Saturday in Lake City, officers said.
Police had responded at the scene, in the 12300 block of 33rd Ave. NE, at about 4:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a car prowl in progress.
As officers were arriving in the area, they spotted the dark-colored Cadillac DeVille four-door leaving the immediate area.
An officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver rammed the the patrol car and refused to stop.
Several other patrol cars were in the area and the Cadillac struck a second one as it fled down Lake City Way NE onto Interstate 5 southbound.
The damage to the patrol cars was minor and none of the officers were injured.
Officers followed the suspect vehicle until it got onto I-5, when officers backed off to prevent a dangerous situation from escalating.
Police said they have enough information on the suspect to continue following up the investigation.
A suspect rammed two police cars with a dark '90s-vintage Cadillac while fleeing the scene of a car prowl early Saturday in Lake City, officers said.
Police had responded at the scene, in the 12300 block of 33rd Ave. NE, at about 4:30 a.m. after receiving a report of a car prowl in progress.
As officers were arriving in the area, they spotted the dark-colored Cadillac DeVille four-door leaving the immediate area.
An officer attempted to stop the vehicle, but the driver rammed the the patrol car and refused to stop.
Several other patrol cars were in the area and the Cadillac struck a second one as it fled down Lake City Way NE onto Interstate 5 southbound.
The damage to the patrol cars was minor and none of the officers were injured.
Officers followed the suspect vehicle until it got onto I-5, when officers backed off to prevent a dangerous situation from escalating.
Police said they have enough information on the suspect to continue following up the investigation.
Crooks rob one Ferndale home, get shot at another
KOMO-TV STAFF
FERNDALE -- Robbers raided two households in Ferndale within minutes of one another early Saturday, but the outcomes were markedly different.
The suspects got away with cash in one case - and wound up in the hospital with gunshot wounds in the other.
Investigators say they don't believe the robberies are related - despite their proximity in place and time.
In the first robbery, two men burst into a residence in the 7000 block of Tall Cedars Lane at about 3:25 a.m. and demanded cash. They got away with money and a safe.
The area was searched with K-9 police dogs, but the search was unsuccessful.
The robbers were described as two white males in their 20s, with thin builds and wearing beanie hats. One man stood about 5-foot-5 and the other about 5-foot-9.
In the second robbery, robbers demanded money from a resident in the 1200 block of Lattimore Road.
Another family member interrupted the hold-up. As the robbers left, shots were fired into the fleeing suspects' vehicle.
Shortly afterward, two people showed up at St. Joseph's Hospital in Bellingham with gunshot wounds. The injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.
Both of those suspects are now being interviewed.
FERNDALE -- Robbers raided two households in Ferndale within minutes of one another early Saturday, but the outcomes were markedly different.
The suspects got away with cash in one case - and wound up in the hospital with gunshot wounds in the other.
Investigators say they don't believe the robberies are related - despite their proximity in place and time.
In the first robbery, two men burst into a residence in the 7000 block of Tall Cedars Lane at about 3:25 a.m. and demanded cash. They got away with money and a safe.
The area was searched with K-9 police dogs, but the search was unsuccessful.
The robbers were described as two white males in their 20s, with thin builds and wearing beanie hats. One man stood about 5-foot-5 and the other about 5-foot-9.
In the second robbery, robbers demanded money from a resident in the 1200 block of Lattimore Road.
Another family member interrupted the hold-up. As the robbers left, shots were fired into the fleeing suspects' vehicle.
Shortly afterward, two people showed up at St. Joseph's Hospital in Bellingham with gunshot wounds. The injuries were not considered to be life-threatening.
Both of those suspects are now being interviewed.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Poker players fight state's online gambling law
KOMO-TV STAFF
OLYMPIA -- Online poker players plan to rally on the steps of the state Supreme Court Thursday afternoon to protest the law that makes on-line gambling a felony.
Inside, the director of the state's Poker Players Alliance is making his case before the Supreme Court. They're fighting the 2006 state law that makes online poker players felons. Opponents of the law say it makes no sense because it's legal in any poker room across the state, but not online.
What's worse, they say, is it puts online poker plays in the same category as those caught with child porn, or heroin.
"I'm completely appalled," said Lee Rousso, Poker Players Alliance Washington state director. "Of course, I mean, we're regular, salt of the earth citizens we just happen to like to play America's favorite game in the privacy of our own homes and we should be able to do that."
Those rallying on the steps say they should have the freedom to spend their money how they want.
"Everybody in America should have the choice of where to spend their money," said Tom Myers. "That's why we're in America - the reason why I want that choice is because if I want to sit on my couch and spend $100, I should have that right, it's my $100."
It will take the state Supreme Court anywhere from 6-9 months to hand down a ruling, but Rousso says the losing side will likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court because he thinks it's a cutting edge issue across the country.
OLYMPIA -- Online poker players plan to rally on the steps of the state Supreme Court Thursday afternoon to protest the law that makes on-line gambling a felony.
Inside, the director of the state's Poker Players Alliance is making his case before the Supreme Court. They're fighting the 2006 state law that makes online poker players felons. Opponents of the law say it makes no sense because it's legal in any poker room across the state, but not online.
What's worse, they say, is it puts online poker plays in the same category as those caught with child porn, or heroin.
"I'm completely appalled," said Lee Rousso, Poker Players Alliance Washington state director. "Of course, I mean, we're regular, salt of the earth citizens we just happen to like to play America's favorite game in the privacy of our own homes and we should be able to do that."
Those rallying on the steps say they should have the freedom to spend their money how they want.
"Everybody in America should have the choice of where to spend their money," said Tom Myers. "That's why we're in America - the reason why I want that choice is because if I want to sit on my couch and spend $100, I should have that right, it's my $100."
It will take the state Supreme Court anywhere from 6-9 months to hand down a ruling, but Rousso says the losing side will likely appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court because he thinks it's a cutting edge issue across the country.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
Officer ordered to stay away from couple
KOMO-TV STAFF
BONNEY LAKE -- A judge has ordered a police officer with a checkered past to steer clear of a man and a woman he arrested. As a result, Officer James Keller may not even be able to answer calls near the pair's home.
But the man who was arrested says he was pounded and pummeled by the very man he thought was supposed to protect him.
Ronald Bobbitt and his sister say they saw a police car tailing them as they turned down their driveway in the early hours of March 13, 2010.
Bobbitt says he stopped before reaching his house. The police became suspicious, and that set off a violent confrontation.
"Drug me out of the frickin' car, and slung me around here," said Bobbitt.
Bobbitt suffered contusions on his head, and bumps and bruises elsewhere during his arrest.
"All he wanted to know was why we stopped in the road. (We) said, 'It's not the road; it's our driveway,'" said Melissa Smith St. John, Bobbitt's sister.
The two were booked into jail for resisting arrest and obstruction of an officer. They were so afraid for their safety that they applied for a protection order against Keller.
A judge found discrepancies in the officer's report, and granted the protection order, agreeing it would be best for everyone if Keller stayed away. The judge issued a 90-day restraining order on May 3.
"Why he has so much anger, why he does what he does scares me," said Bobbitt.
Keller says he was on the lookout for drug trafficking, saw Bobbitt turning without using his signal, and went to investigate.
"That's what I was doing on that street was being a good cop," he said. "All he had to do was just be normal and nice, and everything would have gone smooth. And I would have moved on."
Bonney Lake police refused to comment on this case or discuss Keller's past.
Six years ago, Keller, then a King County deputy, was charged with assaulting an informant. He was later cleared, but still received a 20-day suspension from the sheriff.
Keller was also involved in a fatal shooting of a Federal Way man in 2003. He was later pressured to resign from the sheriff's office.
Bobbitt says there's little evidence Keller has changed his ways since coming to Bonney Lake.
"They have a pattern of hiring these rogue cops," he said.
Bobbitt and his sister still face criminal charges from the incident.
Comment on this story at KOMONews.com.
BONNEY LAKE -- A judge has ordered a police officer with a checkered past to steer clear of a man and a woman he arrested. As a result, Officer James Keller may not even be able to answer calls near the pair's home.
But the man who was arrested says he was pounded and pummeled by the very man he thought was supposed to protect him.
Ronald Bobbitt and his sister say they saw a police car tailing them as they turned down their driveway in the early hours of March 13, 2010.
Bobbitt says he stopped before reaching his house. The police became suspicious, and that set off a violent confrontation.
"Drug me out of the frickin' car, and slung me around here," said Bobbitt.
Bobbitt suffered contusions on his head, and bumps and bruises elsewhere during his arrest.
"All he wanted to know was why we stopped in the road. (We) said, 'It's not the road; it's our driveway,'" said Melissa Smith St. John, Bobbitt's sister.
The two were booked into jail for resisting arrest and obstruction of an officer. They were so afraid for their safety that they applied for a protection order against Keller.
A judge found discrepancies in the officer's report, and granted the protection order, agreeing it would be best for everyone if Keller stayed away. The judge issued a 90-day restraining order on May 3.
"Why he has so much anger, why he does what he does scares me," said Bobbitt.
Keller says he was on the lookout for drug trafficking, saw Bobbitt turning without using his signal, and went to investigate.
"That's what I was doing on that street was being a good cop," he said. "All he had to do was just be normal and nice, and everything would have gone smooth. And I would have moved on."
Bonney Lake police refused to comment on this case or discuss Keller's past.
Six years ago, Keller, then a King County deputy, was charged with assaulting an informant. He was later cleared, but still received a 20-day suspension from the sheriff.
Keller was also involved in a fatal shooting of a Federal Way man in 2003. He was later pressured to resign from the sheriff's office.
Bobbitt says there's little evidence Keller has changed his ways since coming to Bonney Lake.
"They have a pattern of hiring these rogue cops," he said.
Bobbitt and his sister still face criminal charges from the incident.
Comment on this story at KOMONews.com.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Auburn police investigate suspicious death
KOMO-TV STAFF
AUBURN -- Police detectives are investigating the suspicious death of a 41-year-old man at an Auburn residence.
Officers responded to the scene, a house in the 100 block of D St. NW, at about noon Saturday after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor, said Sgt. Dave Colglazier of the Auburn police.
The neighbor told police that he had gone to check on the man at the residence. Looking through the window, the neighbor could see the man lying on the floor inside the home.
When officers arrived, they could not get the man to respond to them, so they entered the house to check on him.
Police found that the man was dead with injuries "not consistent with a natural death," Colglazier said.
An investigation was launched, and is continuing.
The name of the victim was not released. There have been no arrests and there was no word on a possible suspect.
Comment on this story at KOMONews.com.
AUBURN -- Police detectives are investigating the suspicious death of a 41-year-old man at an Auburn residence.
Officers responded to the scene, a house in the 100 block of D St. NW, at about noon Saturday after receiving a 911 call from a neighbor, said Sgt. Dave Colglazier of the Auburn police.
The neighbor told police that he had gone to check on the man at the residence. Looking through the window, the neighbor could see the man lying on the floor inside the home.
When officers arrived, they could not get the man to respond to them, so they entered the house to check on him.
Police found that the man was dead with injuries "not consistent with a natural death," Colglazier said.
An investigation was launched, and is continuing.
The name of the victim was not released. There have been no arrests and there was no word on a possible suspect.
Comment on this story at KOMONews.com.
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Sheriff defends department in deputy shooting
KOMO-TV STAFF
TACOMA -- The Pierce County sheriff believes his department did everything right in the hours leading up to last Friday's deadly shooting by one of his deputies.
This, despite the fact the deputy's wife raised concerns about her husband shortly before the shooting.
One week ago, Deputy Allen Myron shot and killed his parents-in-law, then later turned the gun on himself.
But one hour before the shooting, Myron's wife spoke to one of his commanders, saying she had concerns about Myron's behavior.
Investigators have said an argument over a failing marriage led to the deadly shooting of Monty and Susan Multanen. Allen blamed his in-laws for meddling in their marriage, and negatively influencing his wife, Sara Myron.
Sara Myron wasn't at their home at the time, but one hour before the shooting, she had contacted her husband's supervisor to express concerns about his recent behavior.
"My understanding is that it was nothing of a major alarm," Tacoma Police Det. Mark Fulghum. "She was just trying to relay that he was a little bit more upset, but there were no threats, no violence, nothing that led her to believe that he was dangerous."
Detectives said Sara Myron never mentioned her husband's suicide attempt from December 2009. In her previous contacts with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, Sarah Myron also said her husband "never assaulted her, made threats to harm her or anyone else and she did not feel he was dangerous," Fulghum said.
As a result, the supervisor set up an appointment for the following Monday, and Sheriff Paul Pastor believes the supervisor acted appropriately.
"After asking, 'Was there grounds for criminal behavior here? Were there grounds for intervening specifically in a criminal situation?' It sounds as if those grounds were not presented," he said.
The victims' family says no one, not even the sheriff's department, had any way of knowing what was to come.
"I think the sheriff's department acted properly," said Gary Multanen, brother of Monty Multanen. "It's an unfortunate situation. No one knew Allen was going to go into a rage."
Investigators said Allen Myron had been placed on light medical leave for 18 months due to a back injury, but was cleared to return to full patrol three months ago. The 49-year-old deputy was an 11-year veteran of the force.
Gary Multanen says the family is trying to cope the best it can with the tragedy.
"Sara is doing quite well under the circumstances. And my niece is under care, but she's ... it's traumatic for a 15-year-old," he said.
And despite the fact they're a law enforcement family, the Myrons will get no benefits since this was not a death in the line of duty.
A memorial for the Multanens is set for Monday in Vancouver.
Comment on this story at KOMONews.com.
TACOMA -- The Pierce County sheriff believes his department did everything right in the hours leading up to last Friday's deadly shooting by one of his deputies.
This, despite the fact the deputy's wife raised concerns about her husband shortly before the shooting.
One week ago, Deputy Allen Myron shot and killed his parents-in-law, then later turned the gun on himself.
But one hour before the shooting, Myron's wife spoke to one of his commanders, saying she had concerns about Myron's behavior.
Investigators have said an argument over a failing marriage led to the deadly shooting of Monty and Susan Multanen. Allen blamed his in-laws for meddling in their marriage, and negatively influencing his wife, Sara Myron.
Sara Myron wasn't at their home at the time, but one hour before the shooting, she had contacted her husband's supervisor to express concerns about his recent behavior.
"My understanding is that it was nothing of a major alarm," Tacoma Police Det. Mark Fulghum. "She was just trying to relay that he was a little bit more upset, but there were no threats, no violence, nothing that led her to believe that he was dangerous."
Detectives said Sara Myron never mentioned her husband's suicide attempt from December 2009. In her previous contacts with the Pierce County Sheriff's Department, Sarah Myron also said her husband "never assaulted her, made threats to harm her or anyone else and she did not feel he was dangerous," Fulghum said.
As a result, the supervisor set up an appointment for the following Monday, and Sheriff Paul Pastor believes the supervisor acted appropriately.
"After asking, 'Was there grounds for criminal behavior here? Were there grounds for intervening specifically in a criminal situation?' It sounds as if those grounds were not presented," he said.
The victims' family says no one, not even the sheriff's department, had any way of knowing what was to come.
"I think the sheriff's department acted properly," said Gary Multanen, brother of Monty Multanen. "It's an unfortunate situation. No one knew Allen was going to go into a rage."
Investigators said Allen Myron had been placed on light medical leave for 18 months due to a back injury, but was cleared to return to full patrol three months ago. The 49-year-old deputy was an 11-year veteran of the force.
Gary Multanen says the family is trying to cope the best it can with the tragedy.
"Sara is doing quite well under the circumstances. And my niece is under care, but she's ... it's traumatic for a 15-year-old," he said.
And despite the fact they're a law enforcement family, the Myrons will get no benefits since this was not a death in the line of duty.
A memorial for the Multanens is set for Monday in Vancouver.
Comment on this story at KOMONews.com.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Speed traps from Wazzu to Western: A guide
By JOEL CONNELLY
During talks with three Washington State University parents one recent weekend, I realized that Cougar Nation is defined not by boundaries but by shared pride and pain.
The pain, with all three, was getting caught in the infamous Colfax speed trap, where WSU-bound motorists accelerate as they leave the Whitman County seat unaware that a 25 mph speed limit is still da law.
It's tough to tell your collegian to behave when you were just zapped!
Colfax isn't the only town to exact tribute from college-bound students and their elders.
A Bellingham-bound friend, with a kid at Western Washington University, was nailed by the Washington State Patrol at another renowned trap, heading off the Samish Summit just short of the first Bellingham turnoff.
Investigative reporters can turn speed trap stories into snoozers. They pour over computer records of where arrests are made, producing dot-covered maps, but manage to ignore the thrill of the hunt and games of wits pitting predator against prey.
With that in mind, here is a thoroughly UNscientific rundown of renowned speed traps, based on testimonies from friends:
# Interstate 5 (King County): Early on Saturday mornings, the State Patrol conceals itself skillfully beneath the concrete pillars of the 145th Street overpass. Patrol officers sometimes zap you just south of the junction of I-5 and I-405. Goin' South: Watch Federal Way.
# Interstate 5 (Snohomish County to Bellingham): A renowned Northwest photographer, with a fiancee in Whatcom County, warns as follows: "Oh yeah, there are three on I-5 between Bellingham and Mt. Vernon, that I've become 'acquainted' with. "From the north, the first is near Lake Padden, the second is on an overpass near the Bow Hill casino. The third, near Mt. Vernon, is the last overpass before you drop down into the valley as you go north."
# S.R. 525 (Whidbey Island): As you head south down Whidbey, just before Freeland, the speed limit goes down to 45 mph. S.R. 525 is still brushy forest on both sides, and there's a long down grade as you approach Honeymoon Bay Rd. U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., called yours truly on the cell phone just after the House of Representatives approved health care reform, causing me to pull over to take down notes. The trap might have nailed me had McD phoned ten seconds later.
# U.S. 2 (Snohomish County to Spokane): Speed limits as you pass through and leave Gold Bar MUST be obeyed. Don't display a lead foot once highway speeds are again legal: I've watched WSP pursuit from the picnic benches outside Zeke's Drive-In. Once you've pierced the "Cascade Curtain," remember to take foot off pedal around Cashmere. Lots of traffic leaves and enters U.S. 2: The State Patrol reasonably wants you to slow down so as not to hit it. If you get over to the Spokane area, slow down west of Davenport, and heed this warning from the vice chair of the state Democratic Party: "There is a speed trap that everyone should be aware of going south on U.S. 2 just around the Deer Park area, where the speed limit drops slightly." She's been caught, and has "regularly seen others fall prey."
# Interstate 5 (south to Olympia and beyond): A stretch of I-5 just north of the Nisqually River bridge, with a turn and concealed pulloffs, is one of Washington's most renowned and enduring speed traps. The State Patrol can conceal itself, like a lion in the African savannah, in the median between lanes of I-5 just north of Olympia. Coming back from Oregon? Show care north of where I-205 merges into I-5.
# Interstate 90 (Issaquah to Spokane): A Spokane businessman, who doesn't like air travel, knows the road and offers the following counsel: "The two places I consistently slow down because of the bands of roving WSP 'mobile enforcement teams' (often with an aerial component) are as one approaches Moses Lake headed west, and as one comes down off the Rye Grass divide and drops down toward Ellensburg." I would add westbound lanes, just east of Issaquah, where the speed limit lowers and I-90 twists through the Issaquah Alps.
# S.R. 26-U.S. 195 (Vantage to Pullman and WSU): Colfax is not the only place where speed kills insurance rates. Spare the lead foot around Othello, and keep an eagle eye out for the WSP and Adams County law on both sides of the S.R. 26-U.S. 395 junction.
A friend who's a senior at WSU adds this warning: "The biggest issue for students/everyone coming in and out of Pullman is that there is a poorly marked area where the speed limit changes from 60 down to 55: A lot of people get nailed because they think it's legal to drive 60 when the limit has been lowered."
The list here is partial.
As you head off to watch the offspring graduate, or enjoy sunshine after the season we call "NovApril," just remember one of the great refrains in pop music: "I fought the law and the law won."
During talks with three Washington State University parents one recent weekend, I realized that Cougar Nation is defined not by boundaries but by shared pride and pain.
The pain, with all three, was getting caught in the infamous Colfax speed trap, where WSU-bound motorists accelerate as they leave the Whitman County seat unaware that a 25 mph speed limit is still da law.
It's tough to tell your collegian to behave when you were just zapped!
Colfax isn't the only town to exact tribute from college-bound students and their elders.
A Bellingham-bound friend, with a kid at Western Washington University, was nailed by the Washington State Patrol at another renowned trap, heading off the Samish Summit just short of the first Bellingham turnoff.
Investigative reporters can turn speed trap stories into snoozers. They pour over computer records of where arrests are made, producing dot-covered maps, but manage to ignore the thrill of the hunt and games of wits pitting predator against prey.
With that in mind, here is a thoroughly UNscientific rundown of renowned speed traps, based on testimonies from friends:
# Interstate 5 (King County): Early on Saturday mornings, the State Patrol conceals itself skillfully beneath the concrete pillars of the 145th Street overpass. Patrol officers sometimes zap you just south of the junction of I-5 and I-405. Goin' South: Watch Federal Way.
# Interstate 5 (Snohomish County to Bellingham): A renowned Northwest photographer, with a fiancee in Whatcom County, warns as follows: "Oh yeah, there are three on I-5 between Bellingham and Mt. Vernon, that I've become 'acquainted' with. "From the north, the first is near Lake Padden, the second is on an overpass near the Bow Hill casino. The third, near Mt. Vernon, is the last overpass before you drop down into the valley as you go north."
# S.R. 525 (Whidbey Island): As you head south down Whidbey, just before Freeland, the speed limit goes down to 45 mph. S.R. 525 is still brushy forest on both sides, and there's a long down grade as you approach Honeymoon Bay Rd. U.S. Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., called yours truly on the cell phone just after the House of Representatives approved health care reform, causing me to pull over to take down notes. The trap might have nailed me had McD phoned ten seconds later.
# U.S. 2 (Snohomish County to Spokane): Speed limits as you pass through and leave Gold Bar MUST be obeyed. Don't display a lead foot once highway speeds are again legal: I've watched WSP pursuit from the picnic benches outside Zeke's Drive-In. Once you've pierced the "Cascade Curtain," remember to take foot off pedal around Cashmere. Lots of traffic leaves and enters U.S. 2: The State Patrol reasonably wants you to slow down so as not to hit it. If you get over to the Spokane area, slow down west of Davenport, and heed this warning from the vice chair of the state Democratic Party: "There is a speed trap that everyone should be aware of going south on U.S. 2 just around the Deer Park area, where the speed limit drops slightly." She's been caught, and has "regularly seen others fall prey."
# Interstate 5 (south to Olympia and beyond): A stretch of I-5 just north of the Nisqually River bridge, with a turn and concealed pulloffs, is one of Washington's most renowned and enduring speed traps. The State Patrol can conceal itself, like a lion in the African savannah, in the median between lanes of I-5 just north of Olympia. Coming back from Oregon? Show care north of where I-205 merges into I-5.
# Interstate 90 (Issaquah to Spokane): A Spokane businessman, who doesn't like air travel, knows the road and offers the following counsel: "The two places I consistently slow down because of the bands of roving WSP 'mobile enforcement teams' (often with an aerial component) are as one approaches Moses Lake headed west, and as one comes down off the Rye Grass divide and drops down toward Ellensburg." I would add westbound lanes, just east of Issaquah, where the speed limit lowers and I-90 twists through the Issaquah Alps.
# S.R. 26-U.S. 195 (Vantage to Pullman and WSU): Colfax is not the only place where speed kills insurance rates. Spare the lead foot around Othello, and keep an eagle eye out for the WSP and Adams County law on both sides of the S.R. 26-U.S. 395 junction.
A friend who's a senior at WSU adds this warning: "The biggest issue for students/everyone coming in and out of Pullman is that there is a poorly marked area where the speed limit changes from 60 down to 55: A lot of people get nailed because they think it's legal to drive 60 when the limit has been lowered."
The list here is partial.
As you head off to watch the offspring graduate, or enjoy sunshine after the season we call "NovApril," just remember one of the great refrains in pop music: "I fought the law and the law won."
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Kirkland quadruple murderer Conner Schierman sentenced to death
By KEVIN OPSAHL
KIRKLAND REPORTER
As Leonid Milkin left a packed courtroom after hearing the jury’s decision to put Conner Schierman to death, he was heard saying, “Justice has been done.”
Schierman, a former Kirkland resident, met his fate in King County Superior Court Wednesday after being convicted of murdering Leonid’s wife, Olga Milkin, 28; her sons, Justin, 5 and Andrew, 3; and her sister, Lyubov Botvina, 24, nearly four years ago. Milkin was serving with the National Guard in Iraq at the time of the slayings.
The announcement was met with silence and Schierman just shook his head as Judge Gregory Canova read the verdict.
“We're all so relieved that this day has finally come,” Milkin said at a press conference with his family and the Botvina family after the verdict was read. “I'm just glad the justice system worked ... Conner Schierman came in the middle of the night like a thief and stole my family from me. I miss my family greatly. I won't ever forget them.”
Previously, the jury found Schierman guilty of the crime on April 12 and it took them just a day to agree on the sentence. The penalty phase lasted two weeks. The deliberated for a day and a half and were unanimous; otherwise, they would have been required by law to sentence him to life in prison without parole. The decision came at 2 p.m. on May 5.
The last time King County heard a death-penalty case was in 2001, when Dayva Cross was sentenced to death for killing his wife and two of her daughters in Snoqualmie in 1999, according to the prosecutor’s office. Schierman will join eight men on death row.
On Monday, Schierman spoke to a packed court room during an emotional 25-minute statement: “I’ve been told by people I’m going to die, I’m going to hell, but I’m already there.”
Schierman said he was in an alcohol blackout at the time of the murders. He later admitted to burning down the home on the 9500 block of Slater Avenue because he didn’t think anyone would believe he didn’t murder four people. But prosecutors contend it was because he was trying to cover up the crime.
His court-appointed attorney, Jim Conroy, defended Schierman from the very beginning, tried to make a personal appeal to the jury during the penalty phase telling them “who he is, where he came from and how he got here.”
Schierman's sister and mother were among those in an attempt to prevent the jury from sentencing the 28-year-old man to death. His family declined to comment after the sentencing.
Conroy said they would try to appeal the verdict to the state Supreme Court within the next week. He said he took issue with the jury selection and the “inflammatory” statements made by the prosecution in court.
“Conner Schierman is a good person and he’s been convicted of a very horrible crime,” Conroy said. “It’s sad because this thing is so out of context I don’t that anybody will ever known what happened July 17 of 2006. It’s not Conner; it was never Conner.”
Since King County Deputy Prosecutor Scott O’Toole had successfully tied Schierman to the killings through DNA evidence, his case during the penalty phase lasted only a little more than a day. He brought in one family member per victim to testify.
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg spoke to reporters at the family press conference in the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
“The death penalty is the law of this state and it is reserved for the worst of the worst of crimes,” said Satterberg, who was not in office when the prosecutors brought the death penalty charge against Schierman. “This (prosecution) team was able to bring that case together for the jury and the jury made what we believe is the right call …These are wonderful people who come to America to live the dream and that dream was shattered.”
Satterberg also called Schierman’s acts, “the worst crimes in the history of this county.” He said the day of the sentence was not about Schierman, but rather to remember the lives he took from both families. Pictures of Olga, Lyubov, Andrew and Justin were flanked on the conference table where family members spoke.
Lyubov Botvina, the mother of Olga and her 24-year-old daughter of the same namesake said she started crying when the verdict was read –and she hasn’t cried in a long time. She said she was glad the justice system worked.
The family members said at the conference that the only thing missing from Schierman’s statement was his apology for murder.
“I understand our lives are not going to be the same ever again,” said Yelena Shidlovski, sister of Lyubov and Olga. “I will never have my two sisters back. And although our lives will go on I am absolutely certain they will be in our hearts forever.”
KIRKLAND REPORTER
As Leonid Milkin left a packed courtroom after hearing the jury’s decision to put Conner Schierman to death, he was heard saying, “Justice has been done.”
Schierman, a former Kirkland resident, met his fate in King County Superior Court Wednesday after being convicted of murdering Leonid’s wife, Olga Milkin, 28; her sons, Justin, 5 and Andrew, 3; and her sister, Lyubov Botvina, 24, nearly four years ago. Milkin was serving with the National Guard in Iraq at the time of the slayings.
The announcement was met with silence and Schierman just shook his head as Judge Gregory Canova read the verdict.
“We're all so relieved that this day has finally come,” Milkin said at a press conference with his family and the Botvina family after the verdict was read. “I'm just glad the justice system worked ... Conner Schierman came in the middle of the night like a thief and stole my family from me. I miss my family greatly. I won't ever forget them.”
Previously, the jury found Schierman guilty of the crime on April 12 and it took them just a day to agree on the sentence. The penalty phase lasted two weeks. The deliberated for a day and a half and were unanimous; otherwise, they would have been required by law to sentence him to life in prison without parole. The decision came at 2 p.m. on May 5.
The last time King County heard a death-penalty case was in 2001, when Dayva Cross was sentenced to death for killing his wife and two of her daughters in Snoqualmie in 1999, according to the prosecutor’s office. Schierman will join eight men on death row.
On Monday, Schierman spoke to a packed court room during an emotional 25-minute statement: “I’ve been told by people I’m going to die, I’m going to hell, but I’m already there.”
Schierman said he was in an alcohol blackout at the time of the murders. He later admitted to burning down the home on the 9500 block of Slater Avenue because he didn’t think anyone would believe he didn’t murder four people. But prosecutors contend it was because he was trying to cover up the crime.
His court-appointed attorney, Jim Conroy, defended Schierman from the very beginning, tried to make a personal appeal to the jury during the penalty phase telling them “who he is, where he came from and how he got here.”
Schierman's sister and mother were among those in an attempt to prevent the jury from sentencing the 28-year-old man to death. His family declined to comment after the sentencing.
Conroy said they would try to appeal the verdict to the state Supreme Court within the next week. He said he took issue with the jury selection and the “inflammatory” statements made by the prosecution in court.
“Conner Schierman is a good person and he’s been convicted of a very horrible crime,” Conroy said. “It’s sad because this thing is so out of context I don’t that anybody will ever known what happened July 17 of 2006. It’s not Conner; it was never Conner.”
Since King County Deputy Prosecutor Scott O’Toole had successfully tied Schierman to the killings through DNA evidence, his case during the penalty phase lasted only a little more than a day. He brought in one family member per victim to testify.
King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg spoke to reporters at the family press conference in the King County Prosecutor’s Office.
“The death penalty is the law of this state and it is reserved for the worst of the worst of crimes,” said Satterberg, who was not in office when the prosecutors brought the death penalty charge against Schierman. “This (prosecution) team was able to bring that case together for the jury and the jury made what we believe is the right call …These are wonderful people who come to America to live the dream and that dream was shattered.”
Satterberg also called Schierman’s acts, “the worst crimes in the history of this county.” He said the day of the sentence was not about Schierman, but rather to remember the lives he took from both families. Pictures of Olga, Lyubov, Andrew and Justin were flanked on the conference table where family members spoke.
Lyubov Botvina, the mother of Olga and her 24-year-old daughter of the same namesake said she started crying when the verdict was read –and she hasn’t cried in a long time. She said she was glad the justice system worked.
The family members said at the conference that the only thing missing from Schierman’s statement was his apology for murder.
“I understand our lives are not going to be the same ever again,” said Yelena Shidlovski, sister of Lyubov and Olga. “I will never have my two sisters back. And although our lives will go on I am absolutely certain they will be in our hearts forever.”
Monday, May 3, 2010
Man accused of driving 150 mph on 520 Bridge pleads not guilty
By KOMO-TV
A man who troopers said hit 150 mph during a drunken run across the state Route 520 bridge pleaded not guilty on Monday.
Vladislav Orlovskii, of Bellevue, has been charged with DUI and reckless driving in the March 20 incident.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Dan said a trooper spotted Orlovskii's 2008 BMW M6 speeding in the eastbound lanes of SR-520, but the BMW was still quickly pulling away when the trooper reached speeds of 130 mph.
McDonald said the trooper believed the BMW hit about 150 mph while weaving between other cars on the two-lane bridge.
The trooper slowed down when the chase became dangerous, but another trooper east of the high rise on the bridge was able to stop the BMW on the exit ramp to 84th Street in Medina.
Orlovskii was obviously impaired, McDonald said, but the man gave troopers no explanation for why he was driving so fast.
McDonald said that from the time the trooper spotted Orlovskii's vehicle to the time of stop, the BMW traveled 2.59 miles in 1 minute 8 seconds, which is an average speed of 137 mph.
Orlovskii, 24, has been cited previously for multiple driving infractions, including at least twice for reckless driving.
Orlovskii is free on bail pending trial.
A man who troopers said hit 150 mph during a drunken run across the state Route 520 bridge pleaded not guilty on Monday.
Vladislav Orlovskii, of Bellevue, has been charged with DUI and reckless driving in the March 20 incident.
Washington State Patrol Trooper Dan said a trooper spotted Orlovskii's 2008 BMW M6 speeding in the eastbound lanes of SR-520, but the BMW was still quickly pulling away when the trooper reached speeds of 130 mph.
McDonald said the trooper believed the BMW hit about 150 mph while weaving between other cars on the two-lane bridge.
The trooper slowed down when the chase became dangerous, but another trooper east of the high rise on the bridge was able to stop the BMW on the exit ramp to 84th Street in Medina.
Orlovskii was obviously impaired, McDonald said, but the man gave troopers no explanation for why he was driving so fast.
McDonald said that from the time the trooper spotted Orlovskii's vehicle to the time of stop, the BMW traveled 2.59 miles in 1 minute 8 seconds, which is an average speed of 137 mph.
Orlovskii, 24, has been cited previously for multiple driving infractions, including at least twice for reckless driving.
Orlovskii is free on bail pending trial.
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