Jonathan Choe

Dunking on Tammy With multiple open air drug dens and homeless encampments thriving in Chinatown-ID, Seattle council candidate Tanya Woo (@votetanyawoo) and CM Sara Nelson (@CMSaraNelson) teamed up to bring attention to this unfolding disaster in D2, also known as “Tammy Town.” But it quickly turned into a dunk fest on CM Tammy Morales (@TammyMoralesSEA @CMTammyMorales) and her failing record as a leader. Nelson totally picked her apart in an unprecedented take down. It got so bad, Morales actually responded to Nelson on social media. Here is Nelson’s entire monologue during Tuesday’s press conference. I sprinkled in a few highlights. By the way, I spend way too much time in the underbelly of this city. No on else has this Read More ›

Do You Have Time Travel? Literal madness on the streets of Seattle Monday afternoon. A woman was totally naked on the sidewalk across the street from Seattle City Hall. This is the best I could do with the blurs. I asked if she needed help. Instead, she wanted my muffins. Then she started talking about “time travel.” I parked my car and watched her go into a new tent encampment under the highway near 7th Ave and James St. This city is wild. Crazy town. Once again, these streets are the new asylums.

It’s a War Zone Authorities say another shooting in Seattle’s Belltown neighborhood leaves one man dead. Incident happened early Thursday morning on the 2100 block of 3rd Ave. “Officers attempted life-saving measures until Seattle Fire Department personnel arrived. Despite all life-saving efforts, the victim was pronounced dead. The circumstances that led up to the shooting are unknown at this time.” No word yet if anyone has been arrested. The violence continues in the heart of the city. This is just a few minutes away from the Space Needle and shopping district. Confidence in public safety is plummeting in Councilmember Andrew Lewis’ (@CMAndrewJLewis) district. Crime is spiraling out of control.

Worse Than Ever Despite progress being made to improve other parts of Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell’s (@MayorofSeattle) administration just can’t figure out the 12th Ave & Jackson St. disaster in Chinatown-ID. This is a FULL BLOWN take over by street thugs, drug addicts, dealers, and even Asian grandmas buying stolen goods in the black market. They also blast loud music at all hours of the day and the trash situation is out of control. Go there right now and see for yourself. In the three and a half years covering this crime corner, I have reported on shootings, stabbings, fights, drug dealing, thefts, graffiti vandalism, small biz leaving, sales of stolen goods, etc. But I have also seen efforts to Read More ›

They’re Back Nearly 20 tents set up near the Greenwood Fred Meyer. Neighbors say the drug addicts have been slowly building up this encampment for weeks now. Earlier this year, the city removed this encampment that’s been blamed for fires, thefts at nearby stores, open air drug use, fights, and other crimes in the neighborhood. Councilmember Dan Strauss (@CMDanStrauss) told his constituents this would be handled by the Unified Care Team. But it all came roaring back. No plan to address this permanently. Once again, the city is struggling to keep up with the encampments that have already been removed. Instead of sweeping after the first sign of a tent, they just let it build up again. Still can’t get Read More ›

Downtown Insanity Late Tuesday morning, Seattle Police (@SeattlePD) officers swarmed the encampment at the corner of 3rd Ave and Cherry St, just a block away from City Hall. The officers conducted a master class on responding to this mental health crisis. Look at the patience and care shown to this women who was literally spitting in the face of these officers. Thankfully the incident ended peacefully. Now imagine an unarmed social worker going into this scene without police? Well, that could happen very soon in this city. As Katie Daviscourt (@KatieDaviscourt) first reported, Councilmember Lisa Herbold (@Lisa_Herbold) is leading the charge to hire six unarmed “crisis responders” instead of police officers for emergency calls through a new 911 Dual Dispatch/Alternate Read More ›

Leaving Town Tourists are carefully coming to Downtown Seattle. But all leave shocked at the on going urban decay, especially at 3rd Ave & Pike St. I was out and about early Saturday morning. Even in the wee hours of the day, this place is destroyed. It will be even worse at night. Enjoy what’s left of summer. CM Andrew Lewis (@CMAndrewJLewis) needs to come out here and help.

Caught on Camera It’s hard to tell, but neighbors say the man walking inside the Mercer St. encampment in South Lake Union is Paris Alcantera. In this surveillance video, you can see him watching the flames and pacing back and forth. He was arrested for setting a massive blaze on August 14. Alcantera admits he did it, but says he accidentally knocked over a candle inside a tent. Either way, he was released without charges being filed. Alcantera is a prolific repeat offender with a lengthy rap sheet dating back to 1998 with three felonies, 14 gross misdemeanors, three dozen prior arrests including rape in the third degree, and multiple substance charges. There’s concern he’s going to continue with this Read More ›

In Case You’re Wondering During Wednesday night’s Republican primary debate, FOX News anchor Martha MacCallum cited data showing homelessness in America is up 11% in the past few years, “the largest jump in recorded history.” The candidates were asked about their position on this issue. But the conversation ended up being dominated by crime, drugs, and public safety. We have to follow up on the homeless crisis topic at the next debate. We have to know what the GOP candidates are going to do about one of the most pressing issues facing this nation, especially in West Coast cities. Because the current “housing first” national plan is failing.

Sounding the Alarm This week I took a deep dive into the vast network of encampments scattered throughout heavily wooded areas in Seattle public parks (@SeattleParks.) Many are built on steep hills and embankments, making them extremely vulnerable to mudslides and other risk factors. While most remain abandoned, some are still occupied by people. For months now, Andrea Suarez (@weheartfounder) and We Heart Seattle (@weheartseattle) volunteers have been identifying the most at risk camps, including ones in Queen Anne’s Kinnear Park. Suarez says she’s asked Councilmember Andrew Lewis (@CMAndrewJLewis) and Seattle Parks Superintendent AP Diaz (@SeattleShines) to remove these structures immediately. But she says city officials are ignoring this potential liability. That’s why Suarez is racing to get these men Read More ›