SPD: Four arrested in Belltown; three guns recovered

SEATTLE – Closing time in Belltown became a busy time for Seattle police, with four arrests made and three handguns taken early Sunday.

The major activity started around 2 a.m. SPD Det. Mark Jamieson said that bike officers on 1st Avenue, between Lenora and Blanchard, were contacted by a car prowl victim that gave a detailed description of the suspects and where they could be. A few moments later, the officers spotted the suspects in a parked car.

A gun was spotted in the waistband of the driver’s pants, Jamieson said. A quick check showed that the man didn’t have a permit to carry the gun, so he was arrested. The three passengers in the car were also arrested for theft, property damage and vehicle prowling. One passenger got an extra drug charge, as he was found with crack cocaine. A search of the car found a second handgun, and that was determined to be stolen.

Another gun was found in a parked car earlier in the evening. That car had been towed for parking in a bus zone on Blanchard, and when it was taken to a tow lot, one of the employees of the towing company found the gun and called police.

Jamieson said that recovering the guns likely prevented any shootings from happening during Belltown’s bar closings.