Police are investigating a Ballard man after he reportedly threatened and fired a bb gun at another man, who is living in a vehicle, in an attempt to get him to relocate.
The victim called police around 4pm on Sunday and reported someone had fired a bb gun at his car.
The victim, who is currently experiencing homelessness, told police the suspect lives in a house in the 600 block of NW 47th Street, just across from where the victim’s inoperable vehicle is parked.
According to the victim, the suspect yelled at him, told him to get off his block, and made several other threats and disparaging statements about the victim’s housing status.
The victim told police he saw the suspect holding a bb pistol, shortly after three pellets were fired through his car window. A witness also verified some of the victim’s statements.
When officers arrived, they saw the suspect standing outside his home. He immediately went inside and closed his door. He later came out of his home and was taken into custody.
Officers booked him for felony-level harassment. While the city of Seattle’s hate crime laws include protections for individuals experiencing homelessness, Washington’s hate crime laws do not. Because of the seriousness of the man’s crimes, the department has requested felony harassment charge, which potentially carries a longer sentence than a misdemeanor hate crime charge.