Roses began that day. The house they lived in had been owned by Sue’s family since she was in grade school. It seemed reasonable that Bill should be the one to leave and move into an apartment. Uprooting their children from the only home they had ever known and taking them out of their schools would be cruel. They were already devastated that their parents were divorcing.
Bill agreed to leave that Friday, June 22, but it wasn’t an easy transition. He and Sue were both angry, and maybe he expected her to back down, but she didn’t. Jenny had left for Spokane to play in the basketball tournament, but Scott was home when Sue called her sister and asked her anxiously to come right over. “I’ve called the police,” Sue said.
When Carol pulled up to the house in Newport Hills, she saw several Bellevue Police cars parked outside. Scott was in the front yard, safe—but obviously humiliated to have all the neighbor kids watching. There should have been a way for Bill to move out without causing a scene, but that wasn’t going to happen.
Officers Raskow and Boyd had responded to Sue’s 911 call for help. They found her crying and upset, but saw that Bill was upset too. It was a common reaction to a domestic dispute, and neither of them appeared to be out of control.
Bill was mostly concerned over a box of documents, files of some of his financial dealings that Sue knew nothing about. Their argument was at an impasse but not flaring dangerously, and Bill left the house. The two patrolmen were preparing to leave when Bill drove back—just as Carol was trying to lock the box of files in the trunk of her car.
Bill grabbed it out. Kurt Raskow, the patrol officer, told Carol to put the box back into her car and instructed Bill to leave it there.
At that point, Bill Jensen erupted and went “ballistic.” Even the Bellevue officers were surprised at his sudden mood swing as he went from being pleasantly cooperative to being angry.
“But we were dealing with a domestic,” Raskow said, “and I’ve seen it before.”
And then Bill’s rage ballooned suddenly to a point where the Bellevue officer found him “way overboard from what I normally see. I thought it was going to be a big fight right there in the street.”
Bill stomped over to the Toyota Sequoia SUV and ripped a wire out from under the hood. He threw his arms into the air as he headed back to confront Raskow, who was trying to comfort Scott. Bill went into the house, and Scott trailed after him.
Sue was crying and upset. She had called 911 for help, but the patrolmen explained that there had been no assault and that they could not deal with civil matters. Cars, files, and paperwork caught in a tug-of-war didn’t constitute an assault.
The patrolmen could see Scott inside, peering out a picture window, and he looked safe enough; Sue didn’t worry that Bill would hurt him. Bill loved Scott. But the two policeman were concerned when they heard pounding as if Bill was blockading the front door. They called their supervisor, saying that they were afraid the child might be being held against his will. Then Scott came out and spoke to his mother. He insisted that he wanted to stay with his father.
Advised by the Bellevue police to obtain a no-contact/ protection order, Sue and Carol drove to the District Court and obtained one, but the officers wanted them to stay away until police served the order. Sue was worried sick about Scott, so Raskow and Boyd brought him along when they met Sue and Carol a few miles from Newport Hills and escorted them back to the Jensens’ home. The police were concerned about another confrontation. Scott was okay, but torn, his loyalty to both his parents obvious.
It was something no twelve-year-old boy should have to go through.
Bill was inside the house, apparently still barricaded. Aware now that they were dealing with a former deputy sheriff who had a safe full of guns in the house, the Bellevue Police chose a cautionary
Bill agreed to leave that Friday, June 22, but it wasn’t an easy transition. He and Sue were both angry, and maybe he expected her to back down, but she didn’t. Jenny had left for Spokane to play in the basketball tournament, but Scott was home when Sue called her sister and asked her anxiously to come right over. “I’ve called the police,” Sue said.
When Carol pulled up to the house in Newport Hills, she saw several Bellevue Police cars parked outside. Scott was in the front yard, safe—but obviously humiliated to have all the neighbor kids watching. There should have been a way for Bill to move out without causing a scene, but that wasn’t going to happen.
Officers Raskow and Boyd had responded to Sue’s 911 call for help. They found her crying and upset, but saw that Bill was upset too. It was a common reaction to a domestic dispute, and neither of them appeared to be out of control.
Bill was mostly concerned over a box of documents, files of some of his financial dealings that Sue knew nothing about. Their argument was at an impasse but not flaring dangerously, and Bill left the house. The two patrolmen were preparing to leave when Bill drove back—just as Carol was trying to lock the box of files in the trunk of her car.
Bill grabbed it out. Kurt Raskow, the patrol officer, told Carol to put the box back into her car and instructed Bill to leave it there.
At that point, Bill Jensen erupted and went “ballistic.” Even the Bellevue officers were surprised at his sudden mood swing as he went from being pleasantly cooperative to being angry.
“But we were dealing with a domestic,” Raskow said, “and I’ve seen it before.”
And then Bill’s rage ballooned suddenly to a point where the Bellevue officer found him “way overboard from what I normally see. I thought it was going to be a big fight right there in the street.”
Bill stomped over to the Toyota Sequoia SUV and ripped a wire out from under the hood. He threw his arms into the air as he headed back to confront Raskow, who was trying to comfort Scott. Bill went into the house, and Scott trailed after him.
Sue was crying and upset. She had called 911 for help, but the patrolmen explained that there had been no assault and that they could not deal with civil matters. Cars, files, and paperwork caught in a tug-of-war didn’t constitute an assault.
The patrolmen could see Scott inside, peering out a picture window, and he looked safe enough; Sue didn’t worry that Bill would hurt him. Bill loved Scott. But the two policeman were concerned when they heard pounding as if Bill was blockading the front door. They called their supervisor, saying that they were afraid the child might be being held against his will. Then Scott came out and spoke to his mother. He insisted that he wanted to stay with his father.
Advised by the Bellevue police to obtain a no-contact/ protection order, Sue and Carol drove to the District Court and obtained one, but the officers wanted them to stay away until police served the order. Sue was worried sick about Scott, so Raskow and Boyd brought him along when they met Sue and Carol a few miles from Newport Hills and escorted them back to the Jensens’ home. The police were concerned about another confrontation. Scott was okay, but torn, his loyalty to both his parents obvious.
It was something no twelve-year-old boy should have to go through.
Bill was inside the house, apparently still barricaded. Aware now that they were dealing with a former deputy sheriff who had a safe full of guns in the house, the Bellevue Police chose a cautionary
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