Wait, What? Convicted Killer Out on Supervised Release Found Passed Out in Hotel Lobby With Gun, Booze – RedState
In the latest egregious example of criminal justice system slippage in Democratic-controlled states and cities, Seattle police officers last Wednesday arrested a convicted murderer who had been released from prison under the supervision of the Department of Corrections (DOC). They found him asleep and possibly drunk in the lobby of an area hotel – with a handgun protruding from his waistband and a bottle of alcohol next to him.
What is this ?
That, my friends, is a microcosmic view of the deteriorated and dangerous state of criminal justice in several Democratic-run jurisdictions across this great country. Questions abound in this case, which we will address as we go along.
According to the police report and charging documents, employees at the Level Hotel on Boren Avenue North called police around 8:43 a.m. Nov. 13 after spotting a man sleeping on a lobby couch with a handgun visible and a bottle of alcohol next to him. Staff told officers the suspect appeared to be intoxicated.
Responding officers developed a tactical approach before entering the hotel, then contacted and arrested the man without incident. Police also recovered a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun loaded with six rounds of ammunition.
The suspect later claimed he carried the gun for protection due to prior gang violence, even though he is prohibited from possessing firearms due to prior felony convictions and ongoing DOC surveillance. [rolling-eyes emoji].
Did I mention the firearm did not have a distinctive serial number?
Having watched more episodes of Dateline on NBC than I can remember, if the above scenario doesn’t sound like another violent crime waiting to happen, I don’t know what will.
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Here’s more:
The man, identified as Barry Lee Saunders Jr., 38, has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for second-degree murder and second-degree assault in 2008, as well as third-degree robbery in 2002.
Both violent crime convictions included gun enhancements, resulting in a 17-year prison sentence. Court records also show Saunders has accumulated several arrest warrants over the years, including two from Superior Court and six for misdemeanors. At the time of his arrest, Saunders was actively monitored by the Department of Corrections for his murder conviction, making possession of a firearm a direct violation of his supervised release.
Prosecutors filed a charge of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm on Nov. 17, noting Saunders’ repeated history of violence and the risks associated with an armed and intoxicated individual with a prior conviction for murder inside a public building.
The King County Prosecutor’s Office asked the court to keep bail at $25,000, arguing that Saunders’ disregard for gun bans and the circumstances of his arrest demonstrated a continuing threat to the safety of the community.
The essential question to be answered is Why: Why Was a convicted killer with multiple prior felony convictions under DOC supervision in the first place? And just as troubling, if not more so, where were the “supervisors” who were supposed to oversee this dangerous garbage bag?
Once again, this whole thing feels like an episode of Dateline gone horribly wrong. In this case, it appears to be intentional.
Oh, I almost forgot: the convicted killer was also found wearing a balaclava (also called a ski mask), which is typically used to conceal a person’s identity. Go figure.
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