Seattle police continue to proactively patrol in hotspots around the city to address ongoing crime, the sale of narcotics and open-air drug use.
On Thursday, April 3, officers converged in the Chinatown-International District near 12th Avenue South and South Jackson Street for a narcotics operation and Downtown Activation Team operation. The operations led to 11 arrests and the seizure of drugs and paraphernalia.
In one of the arrests, officers were on bike patrol at about 1:40 p.m., when they heard loud “Michael Jackson playing” from a parked SUV in the 800 block of South King Street. It’s unclear which specific song was playing at the time. They noticed a 57-year-old woman was bouncing in her seat to the music in an area known for drug use and the sale of stolen goods. When officers talked with the woman, she said she was waiting for a friend. However, one of the officers noticed she had a bottle of tequila in the back seat as well as a glass pipe in her driver’s side door.
The officers were concerned about the woman’s ability to operate a motor vehicle. She told them she’d not used any drugs or consumed any alcohol. She also told police she does not use drugs recreationally. The 57-year-old woman exited the SUV and after field sobriety tests, was arrested for Physical Control While Intoxicated – DUI-Drugs. When asked about the glass pipe, the woman responded, “What the pipe is for? You know what the pipe is for.” During a search, officers found a small piece of foil in her pocket with a white, chalky substance inside. She claimed she found it on the ground. The woman was later released from the precinct.
In another arrest at about 3:12 p.m., officers with the Downtown Activation Team saw a 32-year-old man using narcotics near 10th Avenue South and South Weller Street. The man was seen with a tube in his mouth, holding up foil while using a torch to heat up the contents and inhale vapors through the tube. The man was surrounded by several people while using narcotics and was also near a high school.
Officers approached the man who told them he didn’t know what he was smoking. The man was found to have an outstanding warrant and was arrested. He was later released.
West Precinct officers as well as the Community Response Group, Traffic Unit, Parking Enforcement, Alternative Response Team and Community Service Officers assisted in the operations. Other City of Seattle partners also responded to help in the neighborhood.
In total, officers arrested 11 people and made numerous contacts with the community as the work continues to improve safety in the area. In addition, 3.9 grams of narcotics were recovered, and a vehicle was impounded.
Incident Numbers: 2025-088566, 2025-088775