Comments on Man Killed on 2nd and Pine

This was an isolated event and will have no influence on the Pride festivities. Stuff happens when we least expect it. Everybody have FUN! Wish I could join you, except I'm miles away and have to work until late at night. Have a great party! Wish I was there!

The Times headline says, "Man fatally shot in Belltown." 2nd and Pine? 2nd and Pine is not Belltown! It says he was walking on Pine Street. Pine Street is not Belltown by any stretch of the imagination. What were they thinking?

Jesus. I'm usually as cynical (or more) than the next guy, but this guy gets killed in cold blood and the first two reactions in the comments are "Don't let it ruin your weekend!" and a complaint about the proper description of the neighborhood?

I would venture to say both of these miss the point, just a little. It's a random act of violence, it happens, nothing to get all paniced about, but how about a little humanity?

I'll start: Fuck, what a tragedy.

I likethe pride of thatbumper sticker driver: random acts of kindness

"There are people dying, and its time to lend a hand"
- We Are The World

vox means something like VOCAL

If they moved 2nd and Pine to Belltown, I think they need to update the maps.

The P-I's coverage is here: http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/local/321073_shot23.html

Except for gah you're all acting like dicks.

If the victim had been armed this never would have happened.

Yeah, this is starting to happen far too often. If SPD could spend a little less time framing black men in wheelchairs and a little more time trolling the city so passers by don't get capped by guys with rifles, then maybe this would stop.

... unless the City doesn't want it to. And don't think for a second that the City won't intentionally let crime happen in particular areas, especially if they want to manipulate the public.

Rule of Thumb: Some thug on the street makes a snide remark. SAY NOTHING, JUST KEEP ON WALKING. JUST KEEP ON WALKING!

This is so sad.

The PI story makes it sound as though the shooter were crazy or under the influence (talking "incoherently") and that the victim may have over-reacted ("For some reason, the couple took that [incoherent mumbling] as a challenge, said police Capt. Richard Belshay.").

Meanwhile, The Seattle Times makes it sound as though the shooter insulted them (maybe hit on the woman), which started a fight and led to the shooting. There's no mention of the shooter's incoherence.

This really sucks for the victim and his family. But I refuse to live my life by anecdote. In 2004, Seattle (city only, no 'burbs) had 709 violent crimes / 100,000. Less than LA, Chicago, Houston, or San Francisco, and about the same as NYC (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_in_the_United_States#Large_cities). If someone has stats that tell a different story, I'd love to hear them.

#3 #7 #10 THANK YOU!

The thing that gets me? I'm quick to say "fuck you" when someone harasses me, and a use my middle finger a lot when driving. This makes me a little more sheepish, to be sure. Wow, what horrible, horrible thing. The girl must feel terrible.

If SPD could spend a little less time framing black men in wheelchairs and a little more time trolling the city so passers by don't get capped by guys with rifles, then maybe this would stop.

Uh, no. I mean yes, the SPD should spend less time framing black men in wheelchairs, but unless a cop happened to be driving by at the exact moment that this happened-- and had time to react to it --I don't see how more patrols could've helped.

The fact that the shooter used a rifle he had stashed in his trunk makes me think this probably wasn't a "thug" incident at all. Thugs use handguns or submachineguns and they don't keep them in the trunk. I mean, this incident could've taken place anywhere; even countries and states with fairly strict gun laws allow people to own rifles and transport them in the trunk of their car.

I blame the nightclubs!

@11,

Hit on? How about harassed?

Hitting on a woman: buying her a drink at a bar.

Harassing a woman: making a vulgar comment or gesture.

Considering the circumstances, she was with another guy, they were walking down the street, I'm going with the latter over the former.

A lot of seedy types hang out on that corner. The best rule of thumb is never respond to them, don't even make eye contact with them. It's absolutely not worth it.

I'm completely bewildered at this point.

I've been downtown with my girlfriend and EVERY time some thug heckles her. They say absolutely grotesque sexual things. It takes every ounce of control for me not to flare up.

Why can't the cops start dressing plain clothed officers to protect people being harassed downtown by these thugs who somehow think downtown is their personal playground?

If we can have emphasis patrols for prostitution and drug sales, why not do the same for random street assaults?

How about this: We take some of our police officers who are busy arresting adults for consensual sex for money and those who are busy arresting adults for selling or posessing currently-illegal substances to other adults, we dress those officers up in plain clothes so they look like Jesse and his girlfriend, and we have them walk around downtown. When someone says something rude to the officer(s), they respond with an admonishment. If that someone follows up with threatening words or behavior, our police arrest him for assault.

Which is a more dangerous problem: 1) people selling drugs and sex, or 2) people harassing and threatening us, occasionally with a shotgun?

the proper name for that neighborhood is "Junkietown".

a solution? there is no solution. america loves testosterone & guns.

Seattle's leadership (or lack thereof) hasn't had the political courage to deal with this crap for over 25 years, and its not likely to change anytime soon. Get used to it.

I was there when that happened....It was so sad. I saw the guys face...his left side of his face was totatlly missing, it had been blown off. It was super sad. And the girlfriend was sitting there holdin his head up.