The Spotlight: Whistleblowers call JBLM's police system broken
In a video that sent shockwaves through Joint Base Lewis McChord, a civilian police officer is seen trying to get a DNA swab from a female solider. When she refuses, things spiral quickly. Whistleblowers tell The Spotlight that the incident was quickly swept under the rug. The officer didn't face punishment and is now in training to work for the Department of Homeland Security.
The Spotlight: Tacoma Police target crime on one of city's most infamous streets
Tacoma Police are preparing to target crime on one of the city's most infamous streets. Officers have already begun working on the 'Mid-Term Strategy' focusing on the area between 8810 and 8820 S. Hosmer St. It's the next step in Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore's Violent Crime Reduction Plan that the department says led to a 17.5% decrease in violent street crime incidents in the first year. A stretch of Hosmer has long been home to shootings, drugs and murder. One particular hotel stood out as a haven for violence. Now, The Spotlight shows how that former crime den has found new life as place for families to call home.
The Spotlight: Witness to a Crime
The unsolved murder of a father of two in the vibrant small town of Ravensdale in King County has rocked the community. Now, Nick Valison's widow is sharing his heroic story wtih The Spotlight in hopes it will help detectives catch the killers. Tanie Valison says her husband waved off another neighbor when he went to check on a large U-Haul box truck parked suspiciously on a path in the woods. He was violently attacked and killed. Plus, more victims shot in road rage shootings reaching unprecedented levels in Western Washington.
The Spotlight: Students repeatedly being robbed in North Seattle
The number of reported robberies in Seattle is tracking lower so far in 2023 with 1,194 reported so far. That compares to 1,758 robberies in all of 2022. That's little comfort though to the families of students being robbed repeatedly in North Seattle. The Spotlight reports some parents are taking matters into their own hands. Meanwhile, Seattle Police work to see if the same suspects are also committing takeover style armed robberies at convenience stores and in other parts of the city.
Justice for Tony: Search for hit-and-run driver
Detectives say the driver hit 60-year-old Tony Ridgeway on Aug. 4 at N 145th St and Linden Ave N and sped away eastbound. A second vehicle, that has already been located, also hit him and didn’t stop. The King County Medical Examiner determined the father of three died from blunt force trauma and crushing injuries.
The Spotlight: Can AI help curb Seattle's gun violence epidemic
Between 2019 and 2023, Seattle has seen a 120% increase in shootings. The Spotlight examines whether artificial intelligence can help curb the city's epidemic of gun violence. Mayor Bruce Harrell thinks so. He's trying for a second time to get budget approval from the city council to mount acoustic gunshot detectors around Seattle. The tech is called ShotSpotter. It's being used in more than 150 cities nationwide but not here even though the CEO of the company that makes it, SoundThinking, lives in the Central District. Ralph Clark says the sensors alert officers to the exact location of the gunfire within 45 seconds of detecting the shots. "In getting officers to the scene very quickly, they are more apt to save lives and recover physical forensic evidence," said Clark. However, ShotSpotter is not without critics like the ACLU that claims it endangers privacy.
The Spotlight: Jail vs. treatment for repeat drug offenders
In the continuing debate over jail versus treatment for repeat drug offenders causing chaos in communities, The Spotlight shows how one city is cracking down. Marysville has a new three strikes mandate. Anyone convicted of using drugs in public three separate times will spend 30 days in jail.
The Spotlight: 2 sheriffs draw attention to recent court decisions by judges, court commissioners
Two local Sheriffs are taking to social media to draw attention to recent decisions by judges and court commissioners to release dangerous suspects from custody. They say it's not to undermine the justice system but to protect their deputies and the public. The Spotlight shows surveillance video of two recent arrests supporting their argument that releasing suspects with no bail or low bail is putting the safety of the community in jeopardy. In one of them, a bench warrant has been issued in Pierce County for the arrest once again of Yessica Meraz Carmona after she was released from jail on her own recognizance and then failed to report to pre-trial services as ordered. The 27-year-old is wanted for two counts of Assault in the 2nd Degree, Theft of motor vehicle, attempting to elude and unlawful possession of stolen vehicle.
The Spotlight: Prosecutors call domestic violence case sadistic
October is Domestic Violence Action Month and The Spotlight is highlighting a case prosecutors call sadistic. An Everett man embarked on an unrelenting campaign of abuse against his ex-wife. His goal was to get her to kill herself. After hearing the case, the judge decided her ex-husband deserved a more severe punishment.
The Spotlight: Exclusive video shows arrest of gang member accused of killing young teen at bus stop
This week on The Spotlight, an urgent plea for your help to catch a wanted sex offender accused of trying to carjack drivers on I-5. Plus, gang violence in Everett claims the life of a young teen shot to death at a bus stop. See the exclusive video as officers arrest the suspected shooter inside a marijuana shop and find him armed with a handgun.
Misdiagnosis in child abuse case kept mom from her baby for months; judge says DCYF delayed second opinion
A baby boy is rushed to the hospital with multiple broken bones. Pediatricians say it's child abuse, but his mother insists they are wrong. State law says she was entitled to a second opinion, but state officials took custody of her baby without one: "I missed all the milestones."
The Spotlight: Hidden horrors of sex trafficking
In this week's episode of The Spotlight, we are exposing some of the hidden horrors of sex trafficking in Washington state. Bellevue police recently busted a sex offender who they say was running a brothel out of his rental home in Maple Valley. Investigators say Tony Eldridge used two web sites to advertise sex with women - one of them was a 15-year-old girl from Tacoma.
Jordan Bowers sentenced to 43 months in prison for identity theft
A judge sentenced Jordan Bowers to 43 months in prison Monday after she accepted a last-minute plea deal in an identity theft case, not linked to her missing daughter Oakley Carlson.
FBI: Man accused of locking a woman in a homemade cell had a handwritten plan, sketch
A woman is kidnapped from Aurora Avenue, raped, and locked in a home-made dungeon hundreds of miles away in Oregon. Now the FBI is asking for your help to find out if there are more victims. Plus, new body camera video from Seattle Police showing the dramatic efforts that went into saving multiple victims when two people opened fire on a community outreach event in Rainier Valley. All that and more on this week’s episode of The Spotlight.
The Spotlight: Worrying signs that crime is growing out of control in Washington
From the north sound to the south sound, we show you some of the worrying signs that crime is growing out of control. Sheriff’s deputies in Snohomish County hunt for suspects in a drive-by shooting that sent three people to the hospital, and an illegal street racing event in capital hill leaves one woman dead. Plus, an eleventh hour plea deal for the biological mother of Oakley Carlson. All that and more on this week’s episode of The Spotlight.
The Spotlight: Tragedy strikes as 12-year-old is hit, killed by alleged drunk driver
A day at the park turns into an unthinkable tragedy as a 12-year-old boy is struck down by a suspected drunk driver. Plus, a nationwide manhunt is over for a Michigan woman accused of shooting and killing a traveling certified nursing assistant in Everett, Washington. We speak to the victim’s father who’s relieved she’s been found, but still wants to know why this happened in the first place. All that and more, on this week’s episode of The Spotlight.
The Spotlight: Naked man who held woman hostage skips prison for treatment
This week on The Spotlight, a naked man with a gun, who held a women hostage for hours inside a Gold Bar grocery store, sees his day in court, but the victim says the punishment does not fit the crime. Plus, a man suspected of terrorizing drivers on I-5 is now behind bars, thanks in part to the victims who fought back.
The Spotlight: Search for 'shock and awe' takeover-style robbers
This week, The Spotlight focuses on the search for a large crew of “shock and awe” takeover style armed robbery suspects robbing store clerks at gunpoint and putting the public in danger. Plus, a hit-and-run driver tearfully pleads guilty to killing a bicyclist but the victim’s family believes he’s only sorry because he got caught. All that and more on this week’s episode of The Spotlight with David Rose.
'I’m sorry for my actions:' Driver gives teary apology at sentencing for killing bicyclist in hit-and-run
It took a huge cash reward, a tip to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound from a FOX 13 viewer and more than a year and a half of investigation by Seattle Police detectives to bring a deadly hit-and-run driver to justice.
$15k reward offered for tips leading to arrest of multiple takeover-style robbery suspects
Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound is asking for the public's help in identifying as many as 15 suspects believed to be involved in a string of more than 30 armed robberies around Puget Sound. Investigators believe they all run in the same ring. The suspects are targeting Rite-Aid, Walgreens and 7-Eleven stores in King and Pierce County.