Seattle’s Alaska Junction got an unexpected dose of high drama Thursday afternoon when SWAT officers moved in on a building along Fauntleroy Way SW, shutting down parts of the busy corridor and nearby alleys while police focused on a spot just south of SW Alaska Street.
Neighbors reported a heavy police presence, with both marked and unmarked vehicles stacking up along Fauntleroy and some businesses hustling customers inside before locking their doors.
As reported by West Seattle Blog, “SWAT officers are reported to be after someone in a Fauntleroy Way building just south of Alaska” while the area was being held and details were still coming in. A commenter on the site said the alley behind Maris and a nearby pet-food shop was blocked at both ends and that the Les Schwab alley onto Fauntleroy was closed, leaving cars stuck in a garage. The commenter added there were “lots of marked and unmarked police vehicles on Fauntleroy” and that the pet shop was still letting customers in, then locking the doors behind them.
Police context
Seattle police in recent weeks have brought out SWAT teams for barricade situations and high-risk warrant work. The department’s public blotter describes a seven-hour SWAT standoff in SODO on May 19, with negotiators on scene, a security perimeter set up, and a warrant ultimately used to make an arrest, according to the Seattle Police Department blotter…