Seattle police swarmed the Gatewood neighborhood Saturday afternoon after an 8-year-old girl reported that an adult man tried to grab her near the 36th Avenue SW and SW Othello Street area. Another child who was with her backed up her account. Officers were dispatched around 2 p.m., checked nearby streets, and put the neighborhood on alert. No arrest was reported in the initial radio traffic.
Police description and probable cause
According to radio traffic and subsequent updates, the suspect was described as a white male about 5-foot-6 to 5-foot-7, with brown hair and blue eyes. He was first reported wearing a grayish-blue hoodie and dark shorts. Later, dispatch relayed that he appeared to be in his 30s, was wearing a white shirt, carrying a black backpack, and might have been armed with a knife. An officer told dispatch that if a suspect matching that description were found, the information would amount to probable cause for a kidnapping attempt. These details were reported by…..