New documents detail what led up to a deadly shooting in Seattle’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.
It happened Friday on East Pine Street and Belmont Avenue just before 10:30 p.m. Arriving officers found a man who had been shot in the chest and neck. Despite life-saving efforts, he died from his injuries.
A second man remained on scene and was taken into custody by police.
According to probable cause documents released by the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office (KCPAO), a woman called 911 after seeing the two men fighting. She told police she could see one man holding a knife that she said looked “more like a box cutter.”
She said that the man was waving the knife around, and that the two men were “going at it and landing punches.” She then told police over the call, “shots have been fired,” and that the man holding the knife had shot the other man 7-8 times. She added, “he dropped, he was down, and he kept shooting,” the documents state.
The woman was still on the phone with 911 as officers arrived. She told police that the man was still on the scene and that he had his hands up. Several other people called 911 and reported hearing multiple shots fired in the area, and five witnesses were later taken to police headquarters to be interviewed.
According to the first appearance documents, at around 10:23 p.m., 911 received a call. Sirens can be heard in the background, and people, presumably police officers, are heard asking, “Where’s the guy?” The 911 caller says, “That was me. This guy was punching me.”
The caller was taken into custody at 10:24 p.m., and a gun was recovered from the sidewalk area in front of where he was standing. A knife was also recovered from his front pants pocket.
All five witnesses were interviewed by detectives and provided similar accounts of what occurred. They told police that about 15 minutes before the shooting, the suspect was heard telling the victim, “This is the second time.” He then told the victim, “Get out of here, you are a child molester.” According to witnesses, the victim walked away from the suspect and appeared to be leaving the area when the suspect started pointing a bright flashlight into the eyes of the victim repeatedly and then toward his waistband area.
One witness reportedly tried to de-escalate the situation by telling the victim to leave. This witness also asked the suspect if “everything was okay,” and the suspect replied, “I’m going to shoot him.” This is when the woman called 911.
According to the first appearance documents, all witnesses describe the two men as engaging, disengaging, and re-engaging with each other. It was reported that they were in boxing-type stances and yelling at each other.
Witnesses said the suspect pulled out a sharp instrument, possibly a small knife or a box cutter, and began stabbing the air in front of him in the direction of the victim. The victim then closed the distance and threw 3-5 punches toward the suspect’s head. None of the witnesses believed that any of the punches landed or were effective. In response, the suspect had his hands up in a boxing stance, and may have thrown a punch or two, or he may have been defending himself. As the victim attempted his last effort at a punch, the suspect pulled out a gun and “immediately” shot the victim one or two times.
According to witnesses, the victim fell to the ground, and there was a short pause in the gunshots. The suspect then fired additional rounds at the victim as he lay on the ground. Witnesses reported hearing 3-6 shots in the second round.
On Saturday, the suspect had his first appearance, and the court found probable cause for Murder in the Second Degree, setting bail at $2 million.
King County prosecutors anticipate getting a case referral from police investigators as early as Wednesday, Feb. 25, for a charging decision.
No previous cases involving the defendant have been referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.