It has now been three years since the murder of well-known Seattle International District activist Donnie Chin.
Chin was patrolling the International District on the night of July 23, 2015, when he accidentally drove into the middle of a gunfight between two groups of people. Chin was shot and killed and his murder remains unsolved.
“The folks that were involved I don’t think want to be mentioned even if they weren’t the ones who actually shot Donnie, say the ones on the opposite end of that, they weren’t willing to be cooperative with us,” Assistant Chief Marc Garth Green said.
Garth Green says the investigation remains open and they continue to pursue every possible lead. Despite their drive for answers, Garth Green admits it’s been a frustrating investigation.
“There’s a lack of video in that area. There’s no real evidence other than some shell casings and the witness descriptions, the ones who did give us anything were kind of vague. We do know that there are people who have intimate knowledge and we still are asking them to come forward, but at this point nobody is,” Garth Green said. “The tough thing is that a lot of people want to call and be anonymous, and we’ll take those tips as well, but we need to follow up on them, and if you’re anonymous and you won’t give us your phone number or some way to contact you, the information’s not there, we can’t validate it, we can’t move and investigate with it.”
Garth Green encourages anyone with information to come forward.
“We’ll meet you in uniform. We’ll meet you in plain clothes, we’ll meet you at a coffee shop. We’ll meet you here; we’ll meet you anywhere, to try to get information and alleviate some of the concerns that the community has,” Garth Green added.
Chin was a loved, popular member of Seattle’s International District. He is remembered for his community involvement and his kind heart.
If you have any information about who may have murdered Donnie Chin, please contact Crimestoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.
