SPD’s Bias Crime investigator and patrol officers on Thursday arrested a 51-year-old man suspected of targeting and threatening a woman and her children in South Seattle.
On March 16th, a woman was driving with her two children and stopped at a red light at Martin Luther King Jr. Way South and South Graham Street. She saw the suspect—who was in another lane—pull his car into a nearby lot and began screaming at the woman and making threatening gestures, as well as statements about her race. The victim is Asian American.
The victim and her children were able to take photos of the suspect, and she later posted on social media about the incident.
SPD’s Bias Crimes detective contacted the victim, who was able to provide a possible identity for the suspect.
Police then located and arrested the 51-year-old man near Georgetown on March 25th and booked him into the King County Jail for malicious harassment, Washington’s hate crime statute. The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has charged the man and SPD’s bias crimes detective is also investigating other similar incidents in South Seattle.
The Seattle Police Department is committed to documenting and investigating all bias incidents and crimes. The Department encourages anyone who feels they have been victimized to call 911.