Man in custody after stabbing in Ballard Commons Park

Update February 26:
SPD officers have interviewed and arrested the man who was responsible for yesterday’s stabbing in Ballard Commons Park. Check out the latest update from the SPD blotter below:

Responding officers quickly located and captured a man responsible for a stabbing in a North Seattle park early this afternoon.

At approximately 2:21 p.m. officers responded to a 911 report of a stabbing in Ballard Commons Park located in the 5700 block of 22nd Avenue NW. Preliminary investigation indicates that two men who are known to each other got into an argument. The argument escalated and the suspect produced a folding knife and stabbed the victim in the chest (the wound appeared to be superficial).

Fire department medics responded to the scene and transported the victim, a male in his 40′s, to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers quickly located and arrested the suspect, a man in his 40′s. Officers also recovered the knife used in the stabbing and placed it into evidence.

The suspect was interviewed and subsequently booked into the King County Jail for Felony Assault.

Original Post:

A number of My Ballard readers emailed in this afternoon to report a stabbing that occurred at Ballard Commons Park (5700 block of 22nd Avenue NW).

Check out the update from the SPD Blotter below:

A suspect is being detained by officers as they investigate a stabbing that occurred in North Seattle early this afternoon.

At approximately 2:21 p.m. officers responded to a 911 report of a stabbing in Ballard Commons Park located in the 5700 block of 22nd Avenue NW. Preliminary investigation indicates that a male suspect stabbed another man in the park after some type of altercation. The circumstances leading up to the confrontation are unknown and remain under active investigation.

Fire department medics responded to the scene and transported the victim, a male in his 40′s, to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Officers have located the suspect. He is being detained as officers continue their investigation.

19 thoughts to “Man in custody after stabbing in Ballard Commons Park”

  1. That park attracts all sorts of riff raff. My young daughter and I once had to flee the area while using the library’s book drop as a fight spilled out of there and was headed our way across the street.

  2. I walk by this park everyday and hardly ever see police presence. The same guys are there everyday, usually drinking or doing drugs(both illegal in a public park). As a parent and member of the community, I would really like to see something done about the rowdy behavior that goes on in this park. I know that this is a very passive town, but come on!!! this has gone too far. It is a culture of allowing these old homeless guys that are not your typical homeless guys. They are the ones that make people want to not help. There is a king pin of the bunch-everybody in the community knows who he is…I am all for helping those who cannot help themselves, but this group of old dirtbags need to be removed from this park. My understanding is that there is a law that disallows a person from entering any city park once they have been ticketed for drinking or doing drugs in a city park. Why is it that I see these guys for the last few years doing just this, but no ticket? When are the police going to get tougher on these guys? There are families that go to this park. Bust a move SPD, Mayor!

  3. John, I and a bunch of other neighbors have been trying for years to get these guys out of here. But the police never show up and our neighbors who live further away from downtown Ballard accuse us of being nimby. Nothing is going to change. It would be politically incorrect to do anything about the poor, down-on-their-luck vagrants at Ballard Commons.

    With St. Lukes across the street handing out food and shelter and the urban rest stop opening later this year, why should they go anywhere?

  4. Bob – Is the Urban Rest Stop a done deal at this point? Last I heard (quite a while ago) the city hadn’t yet provided its blessing to the URS. Perhaps it was done in secret – not a surprise under the McGinn regime.

  5. The ‘victim’ here was one of the other ruffians who hangs around causing trouble, so why are all your feathers ruffled?
    No one went after your kid or grandma afte rall.
    You local residents should be lauding this fight.
    A few more similar events and your problem will be gone.

  6. Shilshole Crabber –

    The urban rest stop is not officially a done deal. LIHI was running into trouble pushing the process through to completion due to zoning issues (bottom floor has to be residential or commercial, an urban rest stop is neither). But, LIHI has made no secret of the fact that they intend on pursuing an exemption to the zoning once construction is complete. They’ve already received exemptions on parking, building height, and how far out to the property line they can push the building. They’ll get this one to.

  7. I once called 911 when a fight broke out in the park and spilled over to the intersection of 57th and 24th, to the front of library, and back to 57th and 24th. It took the police 30 minutes to respond.

  8. Maybe they can install a webcam and start charging us to watch.

    Put the money towards putting a big fence around the Commons and turn it into Ballard’s version of Barterville’s Thunderdome?

  9. Bob – Thanks for the update. That’s what I’d thought as well…. that it was currently not approved but that LIHI would continue to work the backrooms at the City until they got what they wanted.
    .

  10. We can start a neighborhood watch. In WA state open carry is legal. Have a few guys patrol while open carrying and stare down the vagrants. Make them feel unwelcome, because they are. It’s a family neighborhood, we shouldnt have to deal with such a nuance. If cops won’t do their jobs properly, it’s up to we the people to do what police are paid to.

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