Slog

News & Arts

Line Out

Music & the City
at Night

« Rules for Waitstaff | Someone, Weirdly, Wanted to Intervi… »

Thursday, November 5, 2009

News Guns Drawn on Filmmaker Lynn Shelton

Posted by Unpaid Intern on Thu, Nov 5, 2009 at 3:27 PM

Posted by news intern Garrett McCulloch

Cops are on high alert after the Saturday killing of Officer Timothy Brenton. Seattle filmmaker Lynn Shelton, a 2008 Stranger Genius Award winner and the woman behind Humpday, is the latest person to stare down a barrel of multiple police guns after arousing suspicion Tuesday night while filming near Northgate. From Scott Sunde at the seattlepi.com:

They rigged lights, filmed and ate burritos on the hood of the car.

"I don't know at what point the officer saw us. Something about us made him very worried," Shelton said in the interview. "He didn't want to pull us over until he had tons of backup."

So police didn't stop the car until it was near the Woodland Park Zoo. By then, there was backup by the tons: several police cars, officers with guns drawn and flashlights on, commands being delivered over a loudspeaker. [...]

"The one I spoke to was very professional and very kind," Shelton said.

"They said, 'We're sorry if we freaked you out.' "

A little advice to everyone with a light gray sedan—or a video camera in the wrong place: The next couple weeks might be a good time to avoid looking suspicious. Except the guy who shot officer Brenton: May he or she or they look very suspicious wherever they go.

UPDATE: Seattle Police now have a more specific description of the car they're looking for, the Seattle Times reports. It's a white or light beige 1980 to 1983 Datsun 210 coupe.

Comments (13) RSS

Oldest First Unregistered On Registered On Add a comment

One can understand how jumpy the cops must feel, but at the same time, they need to put it in perspective - it's not like they're in Afghanistan or Iraq and the locals here aren't trying to do them harm.

They should be more concerned about crazy guys in parks with concealed weapons permits, they're more likely to shoot them.

Posted by Will in Seattle

on November 5, 2009 at 3:40 PM

I have to imagine that the guy who shot the cop has ditched the car by now.

Posted by The Amazing Jim

on November 5, 2009 at 3:44 PM

Sympathy for the Seattle PD running out in 3, 2, 1 ...

Posted by Mahtli69 on November 5, 2009 at 3:52 PM

don't you think the suspect has ditched the car by now?

don't you idiots think he isn't reading these news thread? I mean, if the Stranger was actual news. I think The Onion has a bit more truth behind its stuff.

the piece of shit obviously knows the effect of what he's done and has probably already skipped town.

Also - Cops get this risk handed to them when they sign up for the job. You don't get drive-bys teaching children or answering phones do you? Why all the outrage?

Live by the sword, die by the sword.

I'm sure you'll censor this like you have with the others.

Posted by registering sucks on November 5, 2009 at 4:11 PM

again, HOW MANY THIRTY YEAR OLD POS DATSUN B210'S ARE ON THE STREETS OF SEATTLE? do you think the DMV could help you with that one? jesus, SPD, you should have checked the entire country's inventory of B201's by now.

Posted by Max Solomon on November 5, 2009 at 4:25 PM

"The next couple weeks might be a good time to avoid looking suspicious."

Um. No.

I'll look and act however I damned well please within the confines of the law.

I certainly understand them being jumpy, but I didn't sign over my rights Halloween night. I shouldn't have to question every move I make for how it will appear to the police.

I had enough of that growing up, thanks.

Posted by OrganizedLightning on November 5, 2009 at 4:29 PM

these comments actually changed my mind on the subject, well done sloggers, good points.

Posted by Andy_Squirrel on November 5, 2009 at 5:25 PM

Will in Seattle says "the locals here aren't trying to do them harm."

What a fucking low-IQ douchebag you are, Will. One particular local very much IS trying to do them harm, and the whole reason for these stops is that there's a possibility it's him.

If they think there's enough reason to do a stop, they OBVIOUSLY are going to do it this way, because of who they think might be on the inside. What do you think, they should just saunter up to the driver-side door and say "hey, are you a cop-killer by any chance?"

Posted by Fnarf

on November 5, 2009 at 5:28 PM

oh Stevie boy when will you leave the confines of your basement and join civilization? your little bleeding heart must be drowning you down there.

Posted by internet speculator Steve Fnarf Thornton! on November 5, 2009 at 5:44 PM

Just trivia-- 1983 was the last year for the Datsun brand. It was Nissan from 1984 onward. The 210 became the Sentra.

I'm surprised there are so many on the road still. I had an '85 Sentra and it died rather permanently over a decade ago.

Posted by eclexia on November 5, 2009 at 7:41 PM

How/why does a film camera draw suspicion?

Posted by keshmeshi on November 5, 2009 at 8:44 PM

#5 makes a good point. My Dad drove a B210 in the early 1980s. It completely fell to pieces within a few years, despite heroic efforts on his part. I haven't actually seen one on the road in at least a decade; it has to be an extraordinarily rare car at this point. Something doesn't add up.

Posted by Furcifer on November 5, 2009 at 8:55 PM

Had a dream about Lynn Shelton last night, actually. She and I were seated near each other at a Frank Sinatra dinner theatre show and got to talking. The next day we ran into each other at the hospital seeking treatment for some injury of mine (Bill Murray was there too). She gave me a hug. I thought that was nice of her, as she didn't really know me. Then I woke up. Strange...

Posted by Tracy on November 7, 2009 at 12:16 PM