Homeless Man Causes Havoc in Seattle Coffee Shop, Police Fail to Respond

A homeless man was caught on camera instigating a disturbance in a Seattle ice cream and coffee shop. The establishment's owner alleges that police officers ignored 911 calls from his worried employees, leaving them in fear for their safety.

In the heart of Seattle's bustling Pike Place Market, an unsettling incident unfolded at a local ice cream and coffee shop, Baxter & Frost. On April 24th, around 7 p.m., a homeless man entered the establishment and proceeded to disrupt the peaceful environment.

Security footage captured the man's erratic behavior. Dressed in a beanie and hoodie, he engaged in a heated conversation with an employee before abruptly shoving items off a counter display, creating a mess in the shop.

The situation escalated when the man aggressively pushed a movable display case at two workers. One employee, fearing for his safety, brandished a knife in self-defense while his co-worker grabbed a spatula and baking tray. The workers confronted the man, who eventually left the scene as a Pike Place Market security guard arrived.

"This video includes an assault on one of my employees as well as the destruction of my service counter by a deranged criminal," said Baxter & Frost owner Ian Halcott in an email to radio host Jason Rantz. Halcott further revealed that the man threatened to shoot his employees.

Shocked and frightened, the employees immediately dialed 911. However, to their dismay, the dispatchers informed them that officers would not be dispatched due to staffing shortages.

"They were like, 'No, we're not gonna be able to make it out tonight and take the statements,'" Halcott explained. "My staff literally felt fear for their lives. And rightly so."

Halcott's attempts to contact police after the fact, as the suspect remained at large, proved equally unsuccessful. He claims that no one answered the Seattle Police Department's non-emergency number.

The incident has shaken Halcott's employees, who are now concerned about their safety. The business owner has had to reduce operating hours due to difficulty staffing evenings. Having owned the establishment for 25 years, Halcott expresses his frustration over the decline in public safety in the area.

"Pike Place Market, this was always the protected area," he lamented. "This is the heart of the tourist industry here in Seattle. And it's frustrating to see the lack of enforcement here."

As of this writing, the Seattle Police Department has not responded to requests for comment from Fox News Digital. The suspect remains unidentified, and the employees' fear persists as they await justice.