Man in wheelchair shot on Seattle seawall after altercation
The incident, captured on video, has sparked debate about self-defense and the assailant's liability
SEATTLE – An altercation on July 31, 2025, on Seattle's busy waterfront ended with a man in a wheelchair being shot and wounded after an individual confronted him for allegedly pretending to have served in the military. The altercation took place near 1101 Alaskan Way, according to court documents.
According to the indictment filed on August 5, the suspect, identified as Gregory William Timm, 32, confronted a 68-year-old man in a wheelchair and demanded that he show his military ID to prove his service. As the victim attempted to reach for his wallet, Timm stole a military patch from his belongings, allegedly prompting the victim to pull out a knife in defense.
Tensions escalated when the wheelchair-bound man also pulled out an airsoft gun. Before it could be fired, Timm pulled out a live firearm and shot him in the chest at close range, seriously wounding him. The shot caused panic: bystanders, including families, fled in the ensuing chaos.
After firing, Timm put the gun in his backpack, raised his hands, and apologized to witnesses. Police arrested him at the scene without resistance. According to authorities, the wounded man was taken to the hospital in serious but stable condition.
Timm was charged with first-degree assault, a Class A felony in Washington state. He was held on $750,000 bail and faces a possible life sentence if convicted.
His defense argues that he acted in self-defense, given that the victim had pulled out a gun first; however, prosecutors maintain that Timm provoked and escalated the confrontation, which would invalidate that justification.
The first public incident of violence attributable to Timm occurred in 2020, when he crashed his car into a Republican Party voter registration booth in Florida, claiming political motivation against Trump. On that occasion, he was convicted of misdemeanor criminal mischief, and its impact on the current case could be assessed.
Mayor Bruce Harrell referred to the incident, emphasizing that it was "a directed act between two people" and asserted that authorities were strengthening security in the area, noting that the police department routinely removed about five guns per day, more than 2,000 annually, in an effort to maintain public safety.