Long-time West Seattle resident witnesses armed carjacking after crash

WEST SEATTLE, Wash. - Steve Humphrey has lived on Alki Avenue for nearly 28 years, long enough to remember when the waterfront was defined by its peace and quiet. But after witnessing an armed carjacking from his own deck early Friday morning, Humphrey says the neighborhood he loves is becoming a different story once the sun goes down.

"When we first moved here, this was a beautiful, peaceful place," Humphrey said. "Soon as it turns dark, it’s another story."

A Violent Awakening

The backstory:

The peace was shattered at roughly 3:50 a.m. Friday, May 1. Humphrey says he was awakened by a massive collision and stepped onto his deck to find a "totally wrecked" car in the middle of the road. The force of the impact pushed a neighbor’s pickup truck into Humphrey's yard and against a tree. Both vehicles were totaled.

What happened next, Humphrey said, was a brazen display of violence. He watched four individuals climb out of the wreckage and begin frantically moving items between cars.

"I saw them try to hijack a sedan, and I saw one of these people in the car point their pistol at the driver," Humphrey said. "That driver sped off."

The suspects didn’t stop there.

"They turned around then and got the van behind that driver and carjacked him with their pistol," Humphrey said. "I talked to [the victim] later and verified that it was, in fact, a pistol that they were pointing at him."

Seattle Police Department incident reports corroborate a violent morning in the area. 

The victim told officers he had slowed down to maneuver around debris from a crash when a man approached his window. Fearing the man was hurt in the wreck, the driver stopped. Instead, the suspect reportedly reached a black handgun through the open window, pointed it at the victim's head, and demanded he get out of the car. The suspect then demanded the victim's cell phone passwords before fleeing south toward the West Seattle Bridge.

Police say there was limited clothing description for the carjackers.

"We’re Kind of Getting Used to This"

What they're saying:

Humphrey remained on the phone with 911 throughout the ordeal, but he says the suspects managed to escape before officers arrived.

"Sadly, the police did not show up until they had all left," Humphrey said. "And I don't know whether they were apprehended or they got clean away. We haven't heard."

This wasn't his first time witnessing violence from his front door. When asked how he was feeling just days after the incident, Humphrey’s response reflected a grim sense of resignation shared by many in the area.

"Well, you know, I hate to say it, you’re kind of getting used to this," he said. "On June 22, 2024, right there where that handicapped parking space is, I watched a young man that was gunned down and died in the street...you get a little hardened to that kind of thing."

Searching for Solutions

What's next:

As summer approaches, Alki Beach has implemented shortened hours—closing at 10:30 p.m. instead of 11:00 p.m. However, Humphrey noted that while the beach and the Don Armeni boat launch have stricter enforcement, the residential stretches in between often become a magnet for the crowds that get kicked out of the parks.

"They pay no attention to the 11 p.m. no parking signs," Humphrey said.

While the city has installed new pedestrian safety lights, Humphrey believes more is needed, specifically at the Don Armeni parking lot. He is also frustrated by the delay in "speed-activated camera and ticketing systems" he says were previously approved by the City Council.

"I’ve asked people at SDOT, and they say, 'Oh, we’re doing a study, and we have to think about equity,'" Humphrey said. "Well, you know, I agree. I’m all about equity, but a camera is colorblind. It just sees a car driving at a certain speed, right? It doesn’t know who’s driving or anything else."

Until more permanent measures are taken, Humphrey says residents are left feeling vulnerable.

"The police are short-handed. We try to beg them to patrol as often as they can, but that doesn’t work very well," Humphrey said. "So you know, short of us doing some sort of vigilante action...you just sort of pray for rain on weekends."

Dig deeper:

In a separate incident, officers responded to another attempted carjacking on East Madison Street Monday morning around 10:30 a.m.

In that case, a man reportedly knocked on a driver’s window with a black pistol and ordered her to "get out and leave everything inside." While the driver was able to flee with her keys and phone, police searched for the suspect, but he has not been found.

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