SEATTLE — Seattle fire officials confirmed two medic units have had their windows shattered by someone throwing objects at them in the last week.
Police arrested a 60-year-old man on Tuesday after witnesses reported he threw a brick through the windshield of an ambulance that was responding to an emergency on 45th Street in the Wallingford neighborhood.
On Wednesday, Seattle fire spokesperson David Cuerpo told KOMO News that a similar incident happened last weekend.
“On July 29, a Seattle Fire Department (SFD) medic unit was transporting a patient to a hospital when someone reportedly threw an object, striking the windshield and passenger-side windows. The patient was not harmed, but a paramedic riding in the back of the unit suffered minor injuries. The medic unit continued en route to the hospital, successfully transporting the patient,” Cuerpo said.
Cuerpo could only confirm the incident happened in north Seattle, but a poster on a Reddit thread indicated they saw it happen on 45th Street in Wallingford, just a few blocks away from where Tuesday’s brick-throwing happened. It is not clear if the 60-year-old suspect is also being investigated for the July 29 attack.
The suspect, who KOMO News is not yet naming because he has not been charged, appeared in court Wednesday afternoon.
Prosecutors said he would be a danger if released.
“I would note the victim in the case had glass shards in his lap, and thank goodness he was wearing sunglasses because from what he’s said if he wasn’t it could have injured his eyes,” prosecutor Winston Choe said.
The suspect had several outbursts during court where he made comments about emergency sirens, and he claimed he lives in a dumpster behind a coffee shop.
“The sirens, they got to stop. They’re killing their kids, they’re making them jump,” the suspect said as he walked out of the courtroom.
People in Wallingford told KOMO News they have seen the man threatening cars along 45th Street in the past.
“I have seen him walking by several times. He doesn’t look well, to me, he’s lost his mind. He stops all the traffic, and sometimes he doesn’t move,” said Rodolfo Gonzalez, who owns a restaurant in Wallingford.
According to statements made in court, the suspect has a history of criminal convictions out of state, and he moved to Seattle nine months ago.