A Seattle man who tried to stop teens from spray-painting the Ballard Bridge was assaulted during the encounter, according to the victim and the Seattle Police Department.
William Graf, 80, told KIRO 7 he felt he had to step in Monday afternoon when he saw a group of teenagers tagging an auto shop along 15th Avenue Northwest before two of them moved on to spray-paint the side of the bridge.
Graf said the incident began around 1 p.m. when he noticed the teens vandalizing property as he drove past.
“I think to myself, that really sucks that I would drive by and not do anything,” he said.
That instinct, he explained, led him to pull over, take out his phone and start recording.
Graf walked toward one of the teens to get a clearer video.
“I got up close to him, you know, to get their picture,” he said. “He didn’t like that.”
Graf said the teen first swung at him and then “came at me again with the spray can and started to attack me with the can and I kicked it out of his hand. And then that’s when he hit me.”
The assault left him with a cut lip and a sore shoulder.
But Graf said the damage to the neighborhood weighed on him just as much.
“It’s just annoying that our city can just turn into a big garbage can. That’s all. It just bothers me. It’s wrong. And it didn’t used to be like this. But I’m an old guy, so back in the day,” he said.
Graf posted the videos on Nextdoor, where neighbors quickly reacted with frustration of their own over the rise in graffiti around the Ballard area.
He said he called 911 several times, but police did not arrive. Police told KIRO 7 that they attempted to call him multiple times, and there were some missed calls, but they did make contact the next day.
Seattle Fire crews responded and treated him at the scene.
SPD later said detectives attempted to reach Graf after the assault was reported but did not explain why officers did not respond to the initial calls.
By the end of the week, the case had moved quickly.
Detectives with SPD’s Criminal Intelligence Unit said they identified the teens after the victim’s family posted the footage online seeking help from the community.
“It was a very disturbing video,” said Det. Eric Muñoz with the Seattle Police Department. “Obviously, it gave us recognition that a crime had occurred.”
According to police, someone on Nextdoor identified the suspects by name.
SPD said the man had seen four teens tagging the auto shop on Nov. 17 before two crossed the street to spray-paint the bridge.
The business told detectives it had already covered the graffiti and estimated the damage at $250.
Police said they also recovered five discarded spray paint cans at the scene for fingerprint testing.
The city later repaired the vandalism on the bridge at an estimated cost of $1,110.
On Nov. 20, detectives went to a high school in Wallingford and, with help from administrators, arrested a 17-year-old boy.
Police said he is the teen seen punching Graf multiple times.
He was taken to the North Precinct for processing, and his mother was notified.
Staff at the juvenile detention center declined to book him, and police released him to a parent.
SPD said the teen has had previous interactions with law enforcement.
Police are still searching for an additional suspect, a 14-year-old officers say was involved in the tagging.
Detectives say the investigation is still active.
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