On Wednesday, March 5, UW police were dispatched to the wooded area near Hansee Hall to follow up on reports of indecent exposure of a man reportedly wearing no pants or undergarments.

Police arrived on the scene and confronted the man.

“We tried to talk to him, but he was uncooperative,” said UWPD Assistant Chief Ralph Robinson. “He kept repeating our questions back to us.”

Robinson said the man was around 19 years old and appeared to be suffering from a mental illness. The UWPD eventually called the Seattle fire department for assistance in dealing with the man.

“We put him in restraints, because you never know who you are dealing with,” Robinson said.

Police escorted the man to the University of Washington Medical Center, where he was involuntarily committed for a mental health evaluation.

On Saturday, March 8, at 9:56 p.m., a male student from Ballard High School was leaving the high school basketball tournament at Hec Edmundson Pavilion. The student was in the E-17 parking lot when three males he did not know approached him.

According to the victim, one of the males pulled out a black, semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at the student and said, “Give me your cell phone or I’ll shoot you.”

The victim complied and handed over his cell phone and bus pass. All three suspects then left the area walking southbound on Montlake Boulevard toward the Montlake Bridge.

Police responded and searched the area for the three suspects, but were unable to find them. The suspect who pointed the gun at the victim was described as wearing an orange beanie hat, an orange shirt and blue jeans. He had a long black ponytail, brown eyes, and a medium build.

Police urge students to exercise caution in light of this event.

“Whether you’re inside or outside, be aware of your surroundings and try not to let yourself be isolated, even though that can be hard in certain circumstances,” Robinson said. “There really is strength in numbers.”

[Reach columnist Siv Prince at news@thedaily.washington.edu.]