From the Sep 16 – Sep 22, 2004 issue

News

Police Beat

by Charles Mudede

The Firm/Downtown/Wed Aug 4/9:26 pm: The suspect in this report was once the director of a local restaurant company that "operates about 30 upscale dining locations in Washington and a dozen other states" (according to its website). In 1997, the suspect was fired for "inappropriate behavior." Six weeks ago, the suspect appeared at one of the company's restaurants in downtown Seattle and struck up a conversation with a female employee. "During the conversation," reports Officer Turner, "the suspect divulged that he had been unjustly fired from the restaurant's corporate office. The employee felt that the suspect became highly agitated during the conversation and that he violated her space by getting too close to her." The suspect finally left her space and the restaurant, but returned the next night and engaged in another conversation with another female employee. "The employee was so disturbed by the conversation," reports Officer Turner, "that she had the suspect thrown out of the restaurant." The shame of it all; thrown from a restaurant that he used to direct. Once upon a happy time, he had an executive desk, a secretary, and appointments with clients, contractors, and suppliers. Now to all of them he was nothing.

The report continues: "Several days after the last incident, the company's vice president saw the suspect in another downtown restaurant that is owned by the company. The vice president has known the suspect and his wife since 1974. The suspect began talking to the vice president about his termination seven years earlier and how it had ruined his life." (Indeed, the only life he will ever have.) "Though the suspect has never directed threats toward the company or its employees, the vice president believes that the suspect's mental health has deteriorated to the point where he might retaliate against the company [that made him less than a man]."

On Magic Mountain/Greenwood/Mon Aug 9/9:30 pm: Officer Sprecher writes: "The victim is a resident of a rehab facility. He has been there for approximately four weeks. He was sent there to have assistance in recovering from back surgery. He will be there for approximately nine weeks. The suspect has been a resident at the rehab facility for several years. It is his home.

"Two weeks ago, the suspect began stopping outside of the victim's room and staring at him. Also [since] two weeks ago, the suspect has been calling the victim a faggot.

"Today, the victim was on his way to physical therapy with a nurse. The suspect followed them. The nurse entered the gym, leaving the victim alone in the hallway. The suspect approached the victim and said, 'Faggot, faggot, faggot.' The victim replied, 'No, you are the faggot.' The suspect struck the victim in the face twice with his hands. The victim dropped his Coca-Cola cup and his walker, and tried to retaliate. Due to his back injury, the victim was unable to reach the suspect. The suspect then grabbed the victim's throat. At that point the nurse returned and broke up the fight."

To conclude: "I [Officer Sprecher] interviewed the suspect. He is very soft-spoken. I asked what caused the fight, and he said he was jealous about the nurse."