Woman chases down, takes photo of man suspected of 'flashing' outside her business

SEATTLE -- Police are looking for the man who exposed himself in front of a downtown business in the middle of the day. They think they know who he is, because a woman chased him down and took his picture.

Lori Sutcliffe said she was working at her salon Monday, when she noticed a strange man walking up and down the hall.

“He looked almost puzzled. I was thinking, that poor old man,” she says. “He’s got his fly down and he looks confused.”

That afternoon, he returned and started touching himself right outside Lori’s window.

“It was just like instant anger. You can’t come into my business and do this to me or my clients.”

She grabbed her phone and chased him outside and down the street.

“I screamed at him, and when he turned around, I just started taking his photos. His pants are still open, his belt is open.”



Seattle police say what this man did is disturbing.

“Here’s a guy who has absolutely no regard for passers-by, people in a business, whether or not children might see him,” police Sgt. Sean Whitcomb said.

He had gotten away by the time police arrived. But they say Lori’s pictures will help their investigation. They’re impressed she was able to get them.

“Chasing after a suspect and taking pictures is a very brave and courageous thing to do. Obviously, you're incurring some risk.”

Lori admits running after the man might not have been the safest idea. But she hopes what she did will save someone else from having to see what she saw.

“He needs to be caught and he needs to be prosecuted,” she says. “We need to start doing something with these people, so we can live safely.”

If you have information on the man, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS.