Seattle Police arrest 17-year-old after attacking 80-year-old man at Ballard Bridge

Detectives with the Seattle Police Department (SPD) arrested a 17-year-old boy for allegedly attacking an 80-year-old man last week.

The 80-year-old man, William Graf, confronted the teen as he scrawled graffiti on the side of the Ballard Bridge. He was allegedly one of four suspects defacing the bridge.

“You shouldn’t be doing that,” Graf said, according to KIRO 7. “You shouldn’t be defacing other people’s property. That’s wrong.”

Graf pulled out his phone and started recording him spray-painting the bridge when the teen swung at him. A video of the incident can be seen here.

“I got up close to him, you know, to get their picture,” Graf added. “He didn’t like that. He came at me again with the spray can and started to attack me with it, and I kicked it out of his hand. That’s when he hit me.”

Graf suffered a bloody bottom lip and an injured shoulder from the attack. The suspect ran away with an accomplice once a bystander intervened.

“It’s just annoying that our city can just turn into a big garbage can,” he said. “That’s all. It just bothers me. It’s wrong. And it didn’t used to be like this. But I’m an old guy, so back in the day.”

After Graf and his family posted a video online of the assault, someone identified the suspects by name on the social media app Nextdoor.

After someone identified the suspects and detectives collected and processed fingerprints on five discarded spray paint cans, officers arrested the 17-year-old at a high school in Wallingford with the assistance of school administrators.

He was later released to his parents. The estimated cost of repairing the graffiti damage to the bridge was $1,110.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Contributing: KIRO 7

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