Just south on Aurora...

Vicinity of the incident
Google maps

Driver Beaten With Hammer After Yelling Racial Slurs, Trying to Hit Man With Car, Throwing Hammer in Aurora Parking Lot

By Jonah Spangenthal-Lee 
SPD Blotter

Police are investigating after a motorist pulled into an Aurora Avenue parking lot Thursday morning,  shouted racial slurs, attempted to hit a man with his car, and then threw a hammer at him, which the other man then retrieved and used to beat the driver, breaking his arm.

Just after 9:30am, police were dispatched to a parking lot in the 8900 block of Aurora Ave N and found the motorist holding his arm. The 52-year-old suspect, who is white, admitted to shouting racial slurs at a man, who is black, during the incident.

A witness at the scene told officers the 52-year-old man pulled into the parking lot and began yelling at the victim, who was sitting with a group of people in the parking lot.

The suspect got out of his car and continued shouting at the man, who got up and began walking away. The 52-year-old man the returned to his vehicle and attempted to run over the victim, who changed course in the parking lot. The driver then put his car in reverse and tried to run the man over once again.

At this point, according to the witness, the victim reached through the driver’s door and began punching him before again attempting to leave.

The suspect then threw a hammer at the man, missing him, but striking a nearby vehicle.

The victim then picked up the hammer and began hitting the driver in the arm before running southbound on Nesbit Ave N.

Police were not able to locate the victim near the scene and, as of this morning, he had not called 911 to report the incident.

Medics transported to Northwest Hospital for treatment. Detectives are investigating the incident.


Jonah started the Aurora North blog about the same time we started the Shoreline Area News. He now has a paying job for the Seattle Police.