First Degree Assault Charge Filed in City Hall Park Investigation

This afternoon the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed a first-degree assault case against a defendant accused of beating a 62-year-old man in City Hall Park in downtown Seattle.

We received this case from Seattle police today, reviewed it immediately, and filed the felony assault charge the same day.

Many people have asked about the defendant’s arrest the day before this attack. That separate case was not referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and we were not involved in that arrest or his release.

As noted in the charging documents, the victim’s injuries in the Court House Park attack are extraordinary and continue to be life-threatening.

The document required for a felony case filing was completed by police investigators and sent to us today.

We have received questions about the defendant’s history. The majority of his arrests were not referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for a felony review and charging decision. Here is a rundown:

• The only other assault investigation involving this individual received by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office happened in Oct. 2020. We asked a judge to hold him on $75,000 bail because we believed he was a danger to the community. The judge agreed and did hold him. But after that first appearance we didn’t end up getting that case from Seattle police for a review and charging decision — it went to the City Attorney’s Office.
• Another investigation happened in Sept. 2020 with a felony harassment arrest. We asked a judge to keep him in jail on $10,000 and he was, but the case was not sent to us for a review/filing from Seattle police.
• Jail records show the defendant had two other local arrests in 2020. There was a Nov. malicious mischief arrest that was sent to us with a general damage estimate. We let SPD knew we needed a specific damage amount to file, and they sent a case (after he was released) that we’re reviewing. He also was booked into KCJ for property destruction in January 2020 — but that case didn’t come to us, it went to the City Attorney’s Office.
• The only other contact our office had with him was in 2017 when we charged him with harassment. A judge determined he was incompetent to stand trial. He was then transported for mental health treatment, and that’s reflected in the public court filing. The Department of Social and Health Services, which handled that, is separate from us.

The defendant’s arraignment in the City Hall Park case is scheduled for Jan. 13. That’s where he’s expected to enter a plea.

Through December 10, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office filed 1,545 assault cases (though that number has gone up since Dec. 10, including this case filing.) That number through December 10 is pace with the number of assault cases filed in 2019, which is 1,605.

This post is based on information available as of December 30, 2020, and is not expected to be updated as the case moves forward.