Update for Jan. 12

Det. Jeff Kappel with the Seattle Police Department released an in-depth description on a wild chase that began at Don Armeni Boat Ramp in West Seattle and ended with the suspect jumping from Hwy 99 onto a rooftop in a foiled escape.

Here is Det. Kappel's report from the SPD Blotter:

High Noon Drama: Eluding Attempt Ends in Failure and Self-Inflicted Injury

A man who attempted to elude officers after a domestic violence assault at High Noon injures himself leaping from a highway on-ramp.

At 12:00 Noon today officers responded to the Don Armeni Boat Ramp for the report of a male suspect stealing a woman’s purse. Preliminary investigation indicates that the adult male suspect and adult female victim were in a dating relationship and in the process of breaking up. While sitting in the suspect’s Ford Taurus in the parking lot of the boat ramp a verbal altercation ensued. The victim got out of the car and began walking away. The suspect pointed a handgun at her back, which was witnessed by a State Fish & Wildlife officer working at the boat ramp (no shots were fired nor was the victim or anyone else injured). The suspect then fled the scene in his car with the victim’s purse.

Responding officers saw the suspect travelling south on Harbor Avenue near SW Spokane Street. An officer turned around to catch up with the suspect. The suspect drove eastbound on Spokane Street and accelerated rapidly when he saw the officer behind him. The suspect drove around the barrier that separates the northbound Highway 99 ramp from the on-ramp from lower Spokane Street. The suspect was unable to negotiate the curve and struck the guardrail. This slowed his vehicle and eventually, about half way around the Highway 99 on-ramp, the vehicle could go no further and came to rest.

The suspect exited the car and began running west on the ramp toward Highway 99. Once he reached Highway 99, the suspect climbed over the guardrail and clung to the outside ledge briefly. He then leapt off the ramp and onto the roof of the Irish Foundry below.

After making a dramatic and not-so-perfect landing on the roof, he slid down the roof onto a flat portion of the roof. At this point officers could see that the suspect’s left leg was obviously broken.

Undaunted, the suspect limped along and made his way to the edge of the roof. He flung himself over the side of the building and dropped about fifteen feet to the dirt below. At this point the suspect began crawling, flopping and rolling down the railroad tracks in an eastbound direction. Officers watching from above were able to guide fellow officers below to the suspect who was taken into custody.

The suspect was transported to Harborview Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries. Officers are guarding the suspect while he undergoes treatment.

Upon release from the hospital the suspect will be booked into the King County Jail for Felony Domestic Violence Assault.

The suspect is currently under active Department of Corrections supervision for Manslaughter, Robbery, and felony drug violations. A search warrant will be served on the suspect’s vehicle to recover additional evidence.

This remains an active and on-going investigation.

Original post, Jan. 11
Right around noon on Jan. 11, Southwest Precinct police officers responded to a robbery call on Alki Ave S.W. in West Seattle with information that an ex-boyfriend robbed his ex-girlfriend and allegedly brandished a weapon in the process, according to Det. Jeff Kappel with SPD.

The suspect took off in his vehicle and merged onto the West Seattle Bridge, then onto Hwy 99 northbound where he collided with another vehicle with SPD officers in pursuit.

Police say the suspect then jumped off Hwy 99 onto a building, and from that building onto some train tracks, severely injuring his leg in the process. Police were able to take him into custody after the injury slowed his escape, and medics responded to the 3600 block of East Marginal Way S. where he was stabilized and taken to the hospital.

SPD is still working through the details and expects to release additional information later today.