Seattle, WA
Rantz: After Seattle principal stonewalled police, suspect allegedly assaulted two victims
A Seattle principal is seen on video stonewalling a police investigation. An officer says it allowed a harmful suspect to flee and allegedly commit two assaults. This incident comes as police stated they’ve encountered extra hostility from Seattle Public Colleges (SPS) employees when responding to incidents.
Liban Harasam allegedly assaulted a younger lady earlier than stealing a pupil’s backpack at Sand Level Elementary in Seattle. In line with courtroom paperwork, Harasam admits to being a drug consumer (meth, fentanyl, and marijuana) and will endure from psychological sickness. Earlier than this incident, he had been arrested 9 earlier occasions within the final 12 months.
Police couldn’t detain Harasam on the time of the alleged crime on June 2. Then-principal Ric Baileykaze refused to cooperate with the responding officer, making it unattainable to determine possible trigger for an arrest.
Police say Harasam assaulted a DHL driver whereas on the unfastened and injured a police officer whereas resisting arrest. These alleged crimes might have been prevented had Baileykaze cooperated with the police.
Baileykaze’s dismissal of police was caught on bodycam footage obtained by the Jason Rantz Present on KTTH. Because the incident, Baileykaze has left Sand Level. SPS wouldn’t affirm what occurred, however a college employees member stated he took an schooling job in a foreign country. The Jason Rantz Present on KTTH has but to have the ability to attain Baileykaze by way of telephone or social media after a number of makes an attempt.
Stonewalling cops
When an SPD officer arrived on campus, Baileykaze and employees watched Harasam wander across the campus, dumping gadgets out of a backpack, based on physique cam footage. Baileykaze supplied just a few particulars to the officer. The college was on lockdown on the time, however the principal didn’t inform the officer. In line with police, a instructor needed to yell to her college students to flee when Harasam allegedly hopped over the fence to get on campus.
Harasam defined to the officer that somebody was “doing a hostage state of affairs” and “kidnapping children over right here.” The officer radioed dispatch to elucidate this was a 220 state of affairs — a psychological well being grievance.
The suspect was allowed to stroll away because the officer tried to determine possible trigger for an arrest.
“He entered a classroom, stated he wished to speak to a pupil, and he stated he wished to take a pupil. Once more, I don’t assume he was in the appropriate mindset. And he grabbed a pupil’s backpack,” Baileykaze stated, based on the bodycam footage.
Baileykaze stated he didn’t know the place the scholar was, and that Harasam might have dropped the scholar’s backpack whereas wandering the campus. At this level, Harasam fled.
‘We’re good’
The officer advised dispatch that Harasam was “a attainable suspect in a backpack theft, however I can’t confirm that but.”
Baileykaze then confirmed the officer the stolen backpack. Harasam did, apparently, drop it. When the officer requested the place the scholar was, and if something was stolen, Baileykaze held his fingers up like he was executed speaking.
“Can we examine with the scholar, see if there’s something lacking? As a result of if I’ve to place fingers on this man, it’s going to go south,” the officer advised Baileykaze.
Baileykaze then refused to cooperate, even after beforehand alleging Harasam “wished to take a pupil.”
“I don’t imply to let you know what to do in any respect, however we’re good. We’re good. I’ll change these items alone. Thanks. Thanks,” Baileykaze tells the officer as he begins strolling away.
The officer advised dispatch that the principal is “declining to speak to me.”
Preventable assaults
Police say Harasam assaulted a close-by DHL driver after he fled. Physique cam footage reveals the sufferer speaking with officers as they decide if he wants medical consideration. Police say the driving force had two cuts on his lip.
“[The driver] noticed the male suspect get into the driving force seat of his van,” an officer writes in a police report. “He started yelling on the male to get out, believing the suspect was about to steal the car. [The driver] received to the door of the car and was caught within the face with what he believed was a blue binder. He tried to maneuver out of the way in which of the strike, however was hit within the mouth, inflicting a break up bleeding lip. [He] pulled the male out of the car, however the suspect grabbed on the mounted cellular phone that the sufferer had by the steering wheel. The sufferer believed that the suspect was making an attempt to steal his telephone earlier than exiting the car.”
Harasam then boarded a close-by King County Metro bus, presumably to flee. Earlier than the bus might go away, officers have been capable of board and make an arrest. However Harasam didn’t go quietly.
The suspect is seen on physique cam footage resisting arrest and screaming at officers. In the course of the melee, an officer was injured, and Harasam was finally subdued.
When different officers arrived, Harasam was agitated and tried to withstand whereas officers waited for medics to reach. At one level, he insists the police don’t have possible trigger to detain him.
Principal remained defiant
These assaults wouldn’t have occurred had the officer been capable of detain and arrest Harasam. Officers returned to the college to let the principal know what had occurred because of being uncooperative.
The physique digicam footage reveals Baileykaze appeared reluctant to satisfy with the officer within the administrator’s workplace.
“Really, I can’t wait as a result of we’ve an injured officer,” the officer responded earlier than taking him into one other room to speak.
“See, the rationale I wanted your info was he dedicated a criminal offense however while you walked off, we had no crime so I couldn’t legally do something. And he tried to assault and rob a DHL driver. Then he went on a metro bus and assaulted a bus driver. I lastly have to get your info,” the officer tells the principal.
“After they stated your college was locked down, the opposite girl I used to be speaking to, stated the college is on lockdown. So, you realize, these are the sorts of issues we have to know,” the officer continued.
Rantz: Seattle councilmember defends gang graffiti as ‘unsolicited artistic expression’
‘I couldn’t have you ever stroll away’
The officer defined that his spouse is a instructor and he understands the protection issues at colleges. He defined to Baileykaze that simply because Harasam didn’t have any weapons, didn’t imply he wasn’t a menace. However by refusing to cooperate, the officer stated it went from a easy misdemeanor to felonies allegedly being dedicated.
“I couldn’t have you ever stroll away as a result of I had nothing based mostly off of what you stated. Based mostly on the regulation, we go implement the legal guidelines. If we don’t have a criminal offense, I’ve no authorized recourse to contact him apart from a social contact, that he walked off, which he did. It wasn’t till he tried robbing the DHL driver, that I had a criminal offense and a felony at that. That would have been prevented if I knew that he had stolen a backpack on the time,” the officer concluded.
At this level, a instructor walked in. She says on the physique cam footage that witnesses say Harasam grabbed a couple of college students. She says he was “fixated” on one lady and tried to get her to go together with him.
“He was attempting to return into our classroom and I used to be within the doorway, attempting to maintain him away from this pupil who was cowering and crying in a nook close to him,” the instructor stated.
It stays unclear why Baileykaze didn’t cooperate with police, although he appeared extra understanding throughout this follow-up. However police say this sort of remedy has turn into extra widespread.
Police say they’re being rebuffed by Seattle Public Faculty employees
A number of officers talking to the Jason Rantz Present on KTTH on the situation of anonymity have recommended they’re noticing an uptick of dismissive remedy from some college employees when responding to points on campus. Some have witnessed it; others have heard second hand from different officers.
They stated employees are both impolite to them or appear reluctant to share info.
Police speculate it’s as a result of common anti-police posture that SPS has taken for the reason that Black Lives Matter (BLM) riots and protests in 2020. They suspected employees didn’t need to be seen as cooperative with police, which have been falsely accused of spreading a white supremacist tradition that targets minority communities.
Seattle Police Officer Guild president Officer Mike Solan tells the Jason Rantz Present on KTTH that his membership has complained of this subject to him. He blames SPS management for spreading anti-police messages.
“We’ve got a elementary breakdown in our price system. It’s an ethical decay. And that’s clearly evident with among the college in these colleges. That begins from the highest down,” Solan defined.
The college board beforehand eliminated college useful resource officers (SROs) from campus. Pupil activists, regurgitating the anti-police speaking factors from educators and neighborhood activists, falsely declare SROs make campus much less protected and that they aim minority college students. Two weeks in the past, a 14-year-old pupil allegedly murdered a 17-year-old classmate at Ingram Excessive Faculty. It’s prompted renewed calls to return SROs to the campus since college students have dedicated extra violence on campus inside the final 12 months than police ever have.
After the incident with Baileykaze, first reported by the Jason Rantz Present on KTTH, a SPS spokesperson indicated management would meet with SPD to debate methods to raised talk incidents sooner or later.
What is going on to Harasam?
With out the cooperation of the college, Harasam was initially charged by the Seattle Metropolis Legal professional’s workplace for felony tresspass, car prowling, two counts of misdemenaor assault, and resisting arrest.
However a decide dismissed Harasam’s case.
“On this occasion, the Metropolis filed in opposition to Harasam and secured $10,000 bail for this particular person on 6/3/22. Protection raised competency, and following an analysis, Harasam was decided to incompetent to face trial. He was launched and the case was dismissed on 6/21/22,” a Metropolis Legal professional spokesperson defined to the Jason Rantz Present on KTTH.
The King County Prosecutors, nevertheless, filed felony prices in opposition to Harasam earlier than his launch. The SPD was lastly capable of get extra info from the college. It justified felony prices of housebreaking and assault of a kid within the second diploma.
Harasam had a Nov. 14 competency listening to continued to a later date. He stays in custody.
Take heed to the Jason Rantz Present on weekday afternoons from 3:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. on KTTH 770 AM (HD Radio 97.3 FM HD-Channel 3). Subscribe to the podcast. Observe @JasonRantz on Twitter, Instagram, and Fb. Test again steadily for extra information and evaluation.
Seattle, WA
Seattle Public Schools official scraps plan to close schools
In a letter to parents, teachers and staff sent Monday, Seattle Public Schools (SPS) Superintendent Brent Jones announced the school district will not close or consolidate schools for the 2025-26 academic year.
Jones wrote in his letter that he plans to withdraw his preliminary proposal to the Seattle School Board to close four schools.
In his letter, which has been republished in full on the Seattle’s Child website, Jones noted the Seattle School Board had directed him to come up with a plan for closures and consolidations to “address enrollment declines, budgetary challenges, stabilizing programs and services.” Jones and the district will not move in that direction.
“After much deliberation, reflection, and engagement with our community, it is clear there is no longer a pathway for this approach for the 2025-26 school year,” Jones wrote. “I am withdrawing my preliminary recommendation, and we will not pursue school closures and consolidations for the upcoming school year. The Board will vote Tuesday to formally approve this direction.”
Jones explained this latest decision “was not made lightly and reflects the Board and my shared priority: the needs and well-being of our students, families, and community.” The decision allows those involved look at the situation more and “thoughtfully determine” the next steps.
“The projected $5.5 million savings from the proposed closures are significant,” Jones wrote. “However, we agree that achieving these savings should not come at the cost of dividing our community.”
The superintendent went on to state in the letter the district will address the budget shortfall that exists through “legislative and levy renewal advocacy, as well as pursuing operational efficiencies aligned with our shared values and priorities.”
They came to America looking for better lives — and better schools: The results were mixed
Why the Seattle School Board considered closing schools
Earlier this year, SPS stated it is contending with a $104 million budget shortfall. Therefore, the district came up with two different options earlier this fall to close the gap in funds.
The first option is to operate 52 attendance-area elementary schools, closing 21 elementary and K-8 schools. This option would have saved SPS 31.5 million.
In the second option, the district would operate 56 schools, including attendance-area elementary and one K-8 school per region, closing 17 schools. This second option would have saved SPS $25.5 million.
“Many of our schools are struggling to provide the resources our students deserve,” the district wrote in a statement at that time. “To address this, we are working to ensure our schools are the right size and have the resources needed for preschool through 5th-grade students to succeed.”
As the fall went on, SPS plan went from as many as 21 schools closing all the way down to four closing and consolidating with four others. Four schools — one each in the Northwest Northeast, Central and Southwest regions — were announced as the places of learning set to shut down. They were announced as the following:
- North Beach Elementary, consolidating with Viewlands Elementary at Viewlands.
- Sacajawea Elementary, consolidating with John Rogers Elementary at John Rogers.
- Stevens Elementary, consolidating with Montlake Elementary at Montlake.
- Sansilo Elementary, consolidating with Highland Park Elementary at Highland Park.
“We understand this change is difficult,” SPS stated on its website at the time. “We chose these schools based on factors like building condition, space, and the goal of minimizing disruption to students and families.”
Protests from parents within the district soon followed, including one late last month outside Sacajawea Elementary.
All four of Joshua Newman’s children attended or are currently enrolled at Sacajawea. He said both state and district school leaders need to balance their budgets better.
“The district needs to look at its own operations and its own administrative costs and not lay the burden on where, frankly, the value is actually added and that’s the teachers, and by the individual principals and staff who are involved in the kids’ lives,” Newman said to KIRO Newsradio.
Rachel Kubiak and her child showed up at the rally as well. They illustrated how closing the school would close a part of their community and their lives.
“We’re really sad. When we heard the news, I was texting with my husband and just — I’m crushed,” she said to KIRO 7.
Last week, Jones shared a key update about the potential school closures, explaining the district was canceling prescheduled community meetings at the schools set to close.
“We are doing so as the board has decided to delay the December closure and consolidation hearings, in part based on important input from families that we all value,” Jones wrote in his statement available on SPS’ website. “As a result, I am considering withdrawing my earlier recommendations for closure and consolidation.”
Contributing: Julia Dallas, MyNorthwest; Luke Duecy, KIRO Newsradio
Steve Coogan is the lead editor of MyNorthwest. You can read more of his stories here. Follow Steve on X, or email him here.
Seattle, WA
Uchenna Nwosu Returning To Practice & Other News From Mike Macdonald’s Press Conference
Seahawks will “take a long look at “Sataoa Laumea” following Anthony Bradford’s injury.
Starting right guard exited Sunday’s game with an ankle injury, and after the game Macdonald said Anthony Bradford will likely miss at least this week’s game. And while Christian Haynes, who took over for Bradford after the injury, would seem the likely candidate to take over, especially considering he split reps at that spot with Bradford earlier this season, Macdonald said the Seahawks will also look at another member of the 2024 draft class, sixth-round pick Sataoa Laumea.
“Sataoa is someone we’re going to take a long look at as well,” Macdonald said when asked about Haynes in that role. “But Christian played winning football for us, but we want him to grow. Keep growing man, you’ve got to go prove it every week on the practice field and in preparation. But right now, he deserves all the credit for being a guy that was rotating in, then AB took over, he still prepared, knew all the things that we—no mentals on the day, but some technique stuff we’ve got to get cleaned up. But overall, good enough to win the game, so, happy with his ability to step in and help us win the football game.”
Asked about Laumea’s rookie campaign so far, Macdonald said, “Just a guy who continues to work his craft and take it day by day. He can play both left and right guard. Just a guy we were really excited about bringing him in, and then to see his approach every day, and now that he gets an opportunity, it’s another example of, ‘Hey, what are you going to do with it? Go to work.’”
Seattle, WA
Former Seattle Mariners Lefty Yusei Kikuchi Signs with Division-Rival Angels
Former Seattle Mariners left-hander Yusei Kikuchi has signed a three-year deal with the M’s division rivals, the Los Angeles Angels.
Jon Heyman of the New York Post had the news on Monday morning. It’s a three-year deal worth $63 million.
The move continues the spending spree for Los Angeles, who finished last in the American League West last season. In addition to Kikuchi, they’ve added Jorge Soler, Travis d’Arnaud, Kevin Newman, Scott Kingery and Kyle Hendricks this offseason.
Kikuchi reportedly had a strong market this offseason, which isn’t surprising considering that he made 32 starts last season, showing a level of dependability. He also made 32 in 2023 with the Toronto Blue Jays. Furthermore, after a mid-season trade from Toronto to Houston in 2024, he went 5-1 with a 2.70 ERA. He struck out 206 total batters for the year in 175.2 innings, flashing elite level stuff. He has a mid-90s fastball and a wipeout slider. He helped the Astros upend the Mariners in the West and get to the playoffs, where they were beaten by the Detroit Tigers in the wild card round.
Kikuchi spent three years with the Mariners after coming over from Japan, going 15-24 in his tenure. One of the more frustrating pitchers in recent M’s memory, he failed to be consistent. He made the All-Star Game with Seattle in 2021 but didn’t even finish the year in the rotation that season. He opted for free agency after the 2021 season, a move that has served him well financially.
Continue to follow our Inside the Mariners coverage on social media by liking us on Facebook and by following Teren Kowatsch and Brady Farkas on “X” @Teren_Kowatsch and @wdevradiobrady. You can subscribe to the “Refuse to Lose” podcast by clicking HERE:
-
Business1 week ago
Column: Molly White's message for journalists going freelance — be ready for the pitfalls
-
Science6 days ago
Trump nominates Dr. Oz to head Medicare and Medicaid and help take on 'illness industrial complex'
-
Politics1 week ago
Trump taps FCC member Brendan Carr to lead agency: 'Warrior for Free Speech'
-
Technology1 week ago
Inside Elon Musk’s messy breakup with OpenAI
-
Lifestyle1 week ago
Some in the U.S. farm industry are alarmed by Trump's embrace of RFK Jr. and tariffs
-
World1 week ago
Protesters in Slovakia rally against Robert Fico’s populist government
-
Health3 days ago
Holiday gatherings can lead to stress eating: Try these 5 tips to control it
-
News1 week ago
They disagree about a lot, but these singers figure out how to stay in harmony