Misfit stories - 04/19/25

SEATTLE — Seattle police are investigating a hit-and-run crash involving a red motorcycle in south Seattle Friday evening.

Police said that at around 8:20 p.m., officers responded to reports of a collision involving two pedestrians at Martin Luther King Junior Way South and South Alaska Street.

When police arrived, they found two victims, a 59-year-old man and a 57-year-old woman.

Video obtained by KOMO News shows the motorcycle running a red light and crashing through the couple in the crosswalk, knocking them to the ground, before speeding away.

The Seattle Fire Department (SFD) responded with police and provided medical treatment to the victims," wrote Seattle police in a press release. "An American Medical Response crew transported the man to Harborview Medical Center (HMC) in stable condition. SFD paramedics transported the unconscious woman to HMC in critical condition. She suffered significant head trauma.

Police eventually determined the motorcycle, which was traveling southbound on MLK, hit the pedestrians while they were walking in a crosswalk. The motorcyclist then fled the scene before police arrived and is currently outstanding, according to Seattle police.

"Detectives with the Traffic Collision Investigation Squad will be assigned to this case," wrote Seattle police. "If anyone has information regarding the identity or location of the motorcyclist, please call 911 immediately."

WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — An investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Lummi Nation Police Department has led to the arrest of a man accused of shooting juvenile bald eagles on the Lummi Nation Indian Reservation.

The incident occurred on the morning of Feb. 23, 2025.

According to an affidavit, a witness reported seeing an older gray SUV parked near his driveway and hearing gunshots. The witness saw a man standing next to the vehicle and later saw the same man pick up an eagle from the ground. The witness decided to call 911 after watching another eagle fall from a tree on his property.

Responding officers located an unoccupied SUV matching the description provided by the witness, which was registered to a man named Joel Ridley. Officers later encountered Ridley, who denied shooting eagles and claimed to have been swimming.

However, a dead eagle was found in the backseat of his SUV. An injured but still-living eagle was also discovered in the area.

Ridley was arrested and booked into the Whatcom County jail. During questioning, Ridley admitted to being part of a ceremonial group but did not have a permit to take bald eagles, stating instead that the permit was "in his blood."

Officers discovered a gun in Ridley's vehicle, which he acknowledged could result in a "life sentence" for him due to his prior felony conviction.

The surviving eagle was transported to the Washington State Humane Society but was euthanized due to the severity of its injuries. Veterinary staff confirmed that both eagles had been shot.

The Lummi Tribe is permitted to possess and transport deceased eagles found within Indian Country, but is not authorized to take eagles from the wild. The investigation further revealed that the firearm found in Ridley's possession was not manufactured in Washington, indicating it had traveled in interstate commerce.

Ridley, an enrolled member of the Lummi Tribe, faces charges related to the illegal possession of a firearm and the shooting of protected wildlife.