12 p.m. update: Police say the man taken into custody is not connected to the shooting of Officer Brenton. “It was determined fairly quickly that he was not connected to the case,” Seattle Police Detective Mark Jamieson tells us. Jamieson says that every tip is being followed up on, but since this was happening right then, the decision was made to move in.
A large police force descended on Old Ballard last night to take a man into custody for questioning. Witnesses say a man at the Lock & Keel was making “suspicious comments,” and the Seattle Times reports the man had made a statement that was threatening to police. Officers are taking such comments very seriously after the recent killing of Seattle Police officer Timothy Brenton and wounding of fellow officer Britt Sweeney.
My Ballard reader Angelatini was next door at Conor Byrne last night when the police arrived on scene. “A friend rushed in and told me there was a SWAT team outside,” Angelatini writes in the forum. “I went over to the door and sure enough there were about 15 police cruisers and unmarked cars with cops everywhere. They had already arrested a suspect and he was in the backseat of a cruiser by the time I got outside.”
oh boy, here we go. hysteria is gonna be the MO of the SPD now?
According to scanner traffic before the arrest, a tip came in about a man with a gun in his waistband crying and saying he would be going away for a long time because of the officer that was killed (a gun in a bar is enough reason to arrest somebody anyway). Somebody else who was listening on the scanner wrote this: http://www.seattlecrime.com/2009/11/04/homicide…
If what Name says is true, that's not really hysteria. It's a valid lead. That sounds different than someone just blowing off steam after getting a traffic ticket or something equally innocent.
I was next door at Conor Byrne for the Blues Jam when this happened. All I heard is that there was a swarm of cops outside. I walked over to the door and there were literally about 15 police cruisers and unmarked cars with lights going crazy. They had suspect in custody, already in a car.
My friend was outside when they first got there, and said he was just smoking a cigarette and it was extremely quiet, and all of a sudden there were cops with machine guns surrounding him. The very first thing we all heard is that the suspect was arrested for possibly having something to do with the officer who was killed.
All I know is it was just completely surreal to see that much police presence in Ballard and to see machine guns in real life!
Nice reporting, guys! I'm curious to see where this will end up.
machine guns? now that's hysteria! proof positive what the mind can do when under stress.
Probably some dumb-ass drunk in all likelyhood (sp?).
Thanks, Name. That puts it into a little better perspective.
Angela! (Oh, this is so embarrassing!) When they are mounted on the patrol cars they are called “Gatling Guns.”
Time to renew your subscription to Hollow Point Monthly!
;-) Please don't hurt me.
Hopefully we get more of a police presence here in Ballard. Get rid of all the useless homeless people who plague us.
You dork. hahaha
It was mounted to the shoulder of a very buff police officer. I was distracted by the arms. :)
Amen, brother.
really? someone liked this? we need machine guns to control the hobos? Is this Brazil?
And when did this story get to be about the homeless?
to quote you back to yourself:
“You're no better then the people you judge.”
So eric, are you saying that if someone shot and killed one of your family members and was coming after you and others in your family that you would not be hyper vigilant?
Lock the guy up for carrying a gun in bar, and being that STUPID and needing attention that badly! That is as stupid as making a bomb statement at airport ckeck-in.
Something tells me that the type of people that kill cops are not the sort to threaten them verbally. Of course, it could have been someone completely irrational.
Why don't you make up your mind! You're saying the police are being hysterical for this but on the Greenwood arson post you're saying they're not doing enough. Just curious, but what background do you have in police work? Watching CSI doesn't count, BTW.
I was at the Lock and Keel when the SWAT team showed up. To be honest, I had no idea what was going on… 3 or 4 SWAT guys came in with machine guns and I asked one of them what was going on and he said, “don't worry about it, we're looking for someone.” I walked outside to smoke a ciggarette with my friends and all roads were blocked off and at least 15-20 marked and unmarked cop cars were spead up and down the street. It was rumored though out the bar the man arrested was the Brenton killer. After 15-20 minutes of this fiasco the streets cleared and at that point, we decided to leave.
Turns out that the man was not the Brenton killer but, I'm a little uneasy knowing some drunk ass brought a gun into the bar and was obviously super emotional.. Going to the Tractor tonight, Hopefully no repeats!
People with axes to grind look for grinding wheels everywhere.
im glad the cop was killed, i hope monfort lives, i really do.
Please don't feed the troll.