On February 22nd at approximately 10:10 p.m. officers responded to the report of an assault at an apartment complex in the 12000 block of 31st Avenue NE. Officers arrived on scene and made contact with the adult male victim, who was physically assaulted by an adult male suspect inside an apartment (the suspect and victim are known to each other). The victim was treated at the scene by SFD medics for facial injuries and did not require transport.
The victim also reported that the suspect threatened him with a gun. Responding officers attempted to contact the suspect, who was believed to be still inside the apartment in question, but he refused to come outside. Officers and SWAT team members surrounded the apartment and negotiators made repeated attempts to establish contact with the suspect to no avail.
The SWAT team made a limited entry and rescued three children from the apartment: two seven-year-olds (one female and one male), and a two-year-old boy. The children were not injured and are not related to either the suspect or the victim. The mother of two of the children lives in the apartment; the third child she was babysitting. She (the mother) came outside to speak with officers near the beginning of the incident and did not go back inside. The mother of the third child showed up at the scene after the arrival of officers. Once outside, all three children were reunited with their mothers.
Negotiators continued their attempts to establish contact with the suspect. These repeated attempts were unsuccessful. The SWAT team introduced irritants into the garage area of the apartment. Shortly thereafter, an adult male subject exited the garage. He was interviewed and released at the scene.
After continued attempts to contact the suspect were unsuccessful, the SWAT team entered and searched the apartment and determined that the suspect was not there. All indications are that the suspect fled the scene prior to the arrival of the initial responding officers. The suspect, an adult male in his 30’s, remains at large. The identity of the suspect is known and officers are currently looking for him.
The mother and the two children that reside in the apartment have returned inside safe and sound. The (second) mother who arrived at the scene later has returned home with her child safe and sound.
This remains an active and on-going investigation.