Dianna M. Náñez
Seattle PI
August. 29, 2007
Fallen Police Officer Mourned 8/29/2007
The widow of fallen Seattle Police Officer Rick Livingston, Jr., said she told her sons Saturday, one day after their father was shot and killed in the line duty, that they have a new angel watching over them from heaven.
"I told them Daddy's in heaven, now you have a special angel and that angel is daddy," said Livingston's wife of 3 years and high school sweetheart, Tiffany, 23. "I said we're not going to be able to see daddy but we can talk to him every night when we say our prayers. He's going to be watching over us and protecting us."
Livingston was shot August 18th while attempting to arrest Fai Sun, 15, for narcotics possession. Sun allegedly resisted arrest and fled the scene, but was later captured in Sea-Tac Airport attempting to flee the city.
“Rick was one the best cops I’ve ever worked with,” said Mac Victor, head of the special anti-gang unit. “This is a real travesty.”
Fai Sun signed a confession on the advice of his new lawyer, but his family claims that the police must have forced him to sign the confession as he was allegedly at a niece’s birthday party. Attorney Darrin Miller protested the confession. “It is simply disgraceful what they did to that poor innocent boy and forcing him to change lawyers is simply not acceptable.”
Police Chief Gideroy was unavailable for comment.
Dead Homeless Man Found Mauled by Rats, 8/29/2007
A homeless man was found dead in White Center, mauled and blood. Authorities say that despite the injuries that there was no sign of foul play and it was likely a heart attack.
The man, whose name was not released, was found in the back alley behind Rent-A-Center on Wednesday, police said.
"He had no other injuries and no signs of foul play," said Sgt. Larry Roland of the coroner's office. “We believe he had a heart attack and then the rats attacked him afterwards. We won’t know more until we have an autopsy”
The man was in his 20s and was clothed, with identification on him, Roland said.
City Councilman Steven Webber Indicted on Bribery Charges and Resigns
In many ways, U.S. District Judge Sarah Vance might have been speaking Monday for an entire city shell-shocked by the latest example of illegal government profiteering when she admonished Seattle City Councilman Steven Webber, only minutes after the one-time mayoral hopeful pleaded guilty to a charge of accepting bribes from a City Hall vendor.
"This guilty plea is a body blow to a community that is already reeling under a wave of public corruption," Vance said. "If this city is ever to recover from the violence, we have to have an end to this type of venality."
A special election will be held in October to replace Webber’s seat on the city council.
Seattle Woman’s Shelter Vandalized, 8/29/2007
The Domestic Abuse Women's Network Seattle office was broken into late Tuesday evening. Five computers were stolen. “All of our records were stolen,” Suzie Brown reported. “We’re very worried about former residents.”
Police Chief Gilderoy assured that public that “the police were taken every measure to insure that these women were protected.
Pawn X-Change Owner Killed, 8/29/2007
Bernie Springs, owner of the Pawn X-Change on Aurora, was murdered in a day-light home robbery Wednesday afternoon. The unknown thieves emptied the safe and absconded with several valuable artifacts including the 1927 painting "Oriental Woman Seated on Floor," by Henri Matisse.
This painted was discovered two weeks ago at Spring’s at PAWN X-Change on Aurora Ave N. The masterpiece has been missing since 1940 when it was stolen by Nazis forces from French art dealer Paul Rosenberg. Details in this bizarre story are still coming to light though it is a complete mystery how the painting arrived in Seattle.
