Former high school basketball standout arrested in home invasion, shootout

SEATTLE — A 20-year-old home-invasion burglary suspect arrested after a shootout between a South Seattle homeowner and three burglars is a former prep basketball star, according to KIRO 7 sources.

Two years ago, state champion Garfield High School point guard DeeShawn Tucker was ranked among the top 25 college recruits from Washington State. He spent the last two years playing on the Olympic College team.

According to Seattle police, early Friday morning, Tucker was found hiding in a bedroom of a burglary victim's home on 44th Avenue South and South Cloverdale after the homeowner and the suspects -- armed with rifles -- exchanged gunfire. Court documents indicate the homeowner armed himself when he heard his front door being kicked in, and he immediately fired shots at masked men running up his stairway.

Two of the men retreated outside and began firing shots though the home's windows and doors with rifles while the homeowner returned fire, according to court documents. No one is believed to have been struck by the gunfire.

"There was at least 20 gunshots fired all together," said neighbor Jason Murdoch, who was awakened by the shots. "I heard, like, seven shots from a shotgun blast, there was a muffled scream, and then I heard seven to nine shots after that," Murdoch said.

Police say after the suspects sped away in a dark Hummer SUV, they found Tucker hiding in a bedroom of the home. Tucker told police he was forced to participate in the burglary by two men who he did not know after they abducted him at a Seattle bus stop.

Police say Tucker was wearing rubber gloves and a face mask, and had a fresh bullet hole through the hood of his sweatshirt, which was likely fired by the homeowner.

Tucker is being held in King County Jail on $500,000 bail. The other two suspects remain at large.

Cox Media Group