Man charged in fatal Hilltop shooting held on $2 million bail
A man accused of a fatal shooting in Tacoma’s Hilltop neighborhood is being held in lieu of $2 million bail.
Pierce County Court Commissioner Meagan Foley set 50-year-old Yancy Ray’s bail at his arraignment Thursday after he pleaded not guilty to charges of second-degree murder and unlawful gun possession.
Prosecutors allege Ray killed 41-year-old Hyson Sabb on Sept. 3, after the two argued outside a friend’s home in the 1500 block of South L Street.
Defense attorney Michael Stewart told the court that Sabb attacked Ray before the shooting, and that Ray plans to argue the shooting was in self-defense.
“He received injuries as a result of being assaulted, beaten and robbed by the decedent,” Stewart said.
According to charging papers, Ray became upset when a woman offered to help him with a drug deal, and Sabb tried to intervene in the confrontation.
That’s when Ray and Sabb argued, which led to the shooting, prosecutors say.
The court issued a warrant a couple weeks ago for Ray’s arrest, and he turned himself in Wednesday.
Alexis Krell: 253-597-8268, @amkrell
This story was originally published September 22, 2016 at 4:21 PM with the headline "Man charged in fatal Hilltop shooting held on $2 million bail."