Seattle police K9 nabs porch pirate in Queen Anne
Dec 13, 2019, 9:02 AM | Updated: 9:53 am
A Seattle Police Department K9 named Katniss nabbed her first ever suspect early Thursday morning, running down an alleged package thief in Queen Anne.
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Around 12:30 a.m. Thursday, Police received reports of a man stealing packages from porches in the 1400 block of 9th Avenue West. The suspect was seen driving a van, and attempted to flee by driving it onto a grassy area once he was spotted by officers.
He drove directly into a fire hydrant, hopped out of the van, and then tried to flee on foot. That’s when Katniss jumped into action, tracking the suspect with her partner, Officer Mark Wong. After a few blocks, Katniss found the suspected porch pirate trying to hide in a blackberry bush.
The suspect was booked into King County jail for eluding, a DUI, and a driving with a suspended license.
That capped off a solid week for Katniss, earning a shoutout from SPD Chief Carmen Best, and scoring a custom embroidered protective vest, donated by a Massachusetts nonprofit. She’ll get her vest sometime in the next two or so months, providing protection from bullets and potential stab wounds.
Meanwhile, this comes as part of a larger concerted effort from the Seattle Police Department to cull the rise of porch pirates across the city. SPD detectives have taken to trailing vehicles they suspect are following delivery trucks.
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“It’s like it’s this game of cat and mouse,” SPD Sergeant Sean Whitcomb told KIRO Radio’s Colleen O’Brien and Aaron Granillo.
Or at least in this most recent case in Queen Anne, a game of dog and mouse.
