The 25-minute police response time for a stabbing at Matador brought up to Seattle City Council member Tim Burgess at the Dec. 9 Ballard District Council meeting was exaggerated.
After Matador owner James Imonti was stabbed inside the Market Street restaurant on Oct. 10, he said it took 25 minutes for police to respond to the 911 call.
Information from the Seattle Police Department posted Feb. 1 on Seattle City Council member Tim Burgess' Web site show that police arrived on the scene approximately five minutes after the first 911 call.
In Dec. 10 and Dec. 11 articles, the Ballard News-Tribune repeated Imonti's 25-minute claim.
The Seattle Police Department was unresponsive when contacted in December for specifics on response time for the Oct. 10 incident. But, Sgt. Dianne Newsom of the North Precinct Community Police Team said a 20-minute response time would be possible during Friday and Saturday nights, when a high-volume of calls are coming in.
On Feb. 1, a spokesperson for the Seattle Police Department confirmed the information on Burgess' Web site.
The first 911 call was received at 11:42 p.m. It was broadcast by police dispatch at 11:43 p.m. The first police unit arrived on the scene at 11:47 p.m.
The Seattle Fire Department issued an alarm at 11:45 p.m. The Fire Department arrived at 11: 50 p.m.
Imonti could not be reached for comment for this story.
