Tensions ran high in a Pierce County courtroom as a murder suspect made his first court appearance.
Patrick Shenaurlt, 36, entered a Pierce County courtroom filled with anger and grief.
Indeed, family and friends of the victim got so angry, a Pierce County sheriff's deputy came into the courtroom to quiet them.
Shenaurlt is suspected of stabbing and killing 31-year-old Jisgogo Sha. The men were acquaintances who lived on Tacoma's streets,
Pierce County deputy prosecutor Jared Ausserer said, as he asked for a substantial bail.
"My understanding is that Mr. Shenaurlt is transient," said Ausserer, "and so I do have some concerns about his appearance on Wednesday, should I file charges. With the entirety of these circumstances, I think that, if the court imposes bail in the amount of $250,000, that would secure Mr. Shenaurlt for Wednesday."
According to Tacoma police, Shenaurlt stabbed Sha at about 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Sha later died at a hospital. Those familiar with the neighborhood in the heart of the city's changing downtown said it is a magnet for drugs and those who have no home.
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Friends of the two men acknowledged that drugs likely played a part in the murder.
And they are angry.
"I know both of them," said Gary Robinson, the victim's friend. "Patrick's not going to kill no one unless he was on drugs. You know what I'm saying?"
The friends are hurt, too.
"That's my husband," said Patricia Bearstail, crying. "How would I not be upset? He did what he did and with everybody. Nobody deserves to be killed over some stupid stuff, man. Unreal."
The deputy prosecutor told the judge he still has to decide whether to file charges against Patrick Shenaurlt.
He has until Wednesday to make that decision.
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