Postal Service Work Shot in the Face by Suspect, an Amazon Delivery Dude | Crime Alert 2PM 07.08.25

A U.S. Postal Service worker is in recovery after being shot in the face during his delivery route at an apartment complex in Everett, Washington. A Kentucky man is in jail after police say his front-yard Halloween display showed fake bodies labeled with the titles of local officials. Drew Nelson reports.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Crime Alert hourly update, Breaking crime news Now. I'm Drew Nelson.
A United States Postal Service worker as in recovery after
being shot in the face during his delivery route at
an apartment complex in Everett, Washington. Police say the shooting
happened inside the mail room at West Mall Place apartments
after an argument between the postal worker and an Amazon
delivery driver turned violent. The suspect, identified as twenty six

(00:23):
year old Blake Michael Coleman, is an Amazon contractor, not employee.
He remains jailed on a million dollars bond and faces
a charge of first degree assault. According to investigators, Coleman
told police he acted in self defense, claiming the mail
carrier quote charged at him. Witnesses say they saw the
two arguing before Coleman pulled out a gun and shot

(00:44):
the worker in the head. Officers found Coolman armed with
two pistols, a large knife, and wearing a bulletproof vest
under his Amazon uniform. Hostal Inspector John wygand Brief dur
TV news partners at Fox thirteen Seattle, A.

Speaker 2 (00:57):
Lot of mail carriers are well known to the people
that they delivered to. They're out here on the street
every single day doing a service to the community. Absolutely,
They've been around for a long time. They're well known,
well liked. So this is devastating to postal community, to
the community at large, to everyone.

Speaker 1 (01:10):
Neighbors say the shooting leaves them shaken. Jelanie Jones says
the mail carrier had been delivering in the area for
years and was friendly with everyone.

Speaker 2 (01:17):
A cool dude. It's quiet neighborhood.

Speaker 3 (01:20):
I mean the police station was literally ten steps away
from where this place where this accident happens.

Speaker 1 (01:25):
Police say the victim was rushed to Prominence Hospital and
then airlifted to Harbor View Medical Center in Seattle, where
doctors performed emergency surgery. He is expected to survive but
lost one eye. Investigators say both the US Postal Inspection
Service and the FBI are now involved in the case.

Speaker 2 (01:42):
Mail carriers are just out here trying to do their
job and get that next package to the next person.
So this is a pretty big one for the pulsar
service itself.

Speaker 1 (01:49):
More crime and justice news after this. The Kentucky man
is in jail after police say his front yard Halloween
display showed fake bodies labeled with the titles of local officials.
State troopers arrested fifty eight year old Stephen Markham of Stanton.

(02:10):
He was charged with intimidating a participant in the legal
process and third degree terroristic threatening. Officers say they found
five so called bodies outside his Court Street home. Each
was wrapped in trashbacks. One of them was hanging with
a rope around its neck and a sign reading district judge.
The others were marked Mayor, SISCA, and zoning manager. Police

(02:32):
took the display to Kentucky State Police Post eight and
more Head. Markham refused to speak with troopers about the display.
He was booked into the Powell County Detention Center on
a five thousand dollars bond. His arraignment was delayed after
the district judge recused himself. Court records show Markham had
recently been fined two hundred and fifty dollars in a
zoning dispute over unsafe utility hookups and was given thirty

(02:55):
days to comply. Police said the threatening decorations appeared soon
after that hearing. Powell County Judge Executive Eddie Barnes says
he has known Markham for decades and believes he quote
can be a good person.

Speaker 3 (03:06):
If you're going to express yourself, don't do it in
a way that could be harmful to others or threatening
to others. By seeing those hanging up and the representatives
marked owner somewhat alarming.

Speaker 1 (03:19):
Judge Barnes spoke to wl EX. University of Kentucky political
science professor Stephen Voss, speaking of WKYT, says free speech
has limits.

Speaker 3 (03:28):
If you're actively threatening someone in a terrorizing way, that
may not be covered by the general rights of free expression.

Speaker 1 (03:35):
Kentucky State Police said their investigation into the threats made
toward Powell County officials is ongoing. Federal agents are searching
for a California man accused of drug trafficking and illegal
gun possession as part of a major takedown of a
violent Los Angeles gang. A warrant was issued on July thirty,
first of twenty twenty four for fifty year old Sawyl
Aan Kinto of Bellflower. He is charged with conspiracy to

(03:59):
distribute old substances and being a felon in possession of
firearms and ammunition. His case is part of a sweeping
federal operation against the Florencia thirteen Street gang, which prosecutors
say controls parts of South Los Angeles. The federal indictment,
unsealed in August twenty twenty four, named thirty seven defendants
tied to the gang. Twenty three were arrested that day,

(04:20):
Six were already in custody. Eight, including Candero, remain fugitives
and are believed to have fled to Mexico. Investigators seized
twenty one pounds of methamphetamine, nine pounds of fentanyl, six
and a half pounds of heroin during the operation. They
also confiscated twenty five guns and about seventy grand in cash.
The FBI described the gang's methods as barbaric. Agents said

(04:43):
residents in the neighborhoods they controlled deserved to live their
lives without fear from violence and extortion. Court papers accused
Top Florencia thirteen members of running illegal clubs known as
casitas and collecting so called taxes through extortion. Prosecutors say
the gang t affect fentanyl, meth and heroin while enforcing
control with beatings and executions. One victim was beaten to

(05:06):
death outside a bar in the Florence Firestone area in
October of twenty twenty two. Two others were shot and
killed in twenty twenty three after violating gang rules. United
States Attorney Martin Estrada said, quote, we must stand together
against gang violence. Today's arrests and seizures demonstrate that we
will be relentless in combating these criminal organizations. If convicted,

(05:28):
King Tero and the others face sentences of ten years
to life in federal prison. Anyone with information on king
Tero's location is asked to contact the FBI's Los Angeles
Field Office at three P one zero four seven seven
sixty five sixty five for submitted tip at tips dot
FBI dot gov. For the latest crime and justice news,
follow Crime Alert hourly update on your favorite podcast app

(05:49):
with this crime Alert. I'm Drew Nelson.