Pierce County man who fatally shot acquaintance and buried the gun has been sentenced
A man who fatally shot an acquaintance in Lakewood and then buried the gun was sentenced Tuesday.
Curtis Pierre Davis IV, 22, pleaded guilty to second-degree manslaughter and residential burglary in connection with the death of 18-year-old Rodney Chandler.
Pierce County Superior Court Judge Stephanie Arend gave Davis a high-end sentence of five years, 10 months in prison.
Davis’ plea statement said he thought Chandler fired at him while he was sleeping, so he fired back.
Shawn Chandler, the victim’s 22-year-old brother, told the court: “This whole situation has stripped everything away from me and my family.”
Chandler told the court he would get annoyed as a kid when his younger brother followed him around but that he misses it now.
“A life for five years,” he said. “That doesn’t even sound right.”
Chandler described his brother as “courageous, joyful and caring” and said he hoped Davis realizes what he did.
“He was too young,” Chandler told The News Tribune after court. “His life didn’t even begin, you know?”
He said his family disputes Davis’ account of what happened.
Charging papers gave this account:
Davis, Chandler and another acquaintance were drinking and wrestling Oct. 24, 2018 outside an apartment in the 10000 block of Meadow Drive.
Two of them argued and were getting ready to fight, neighbors said.
Davis called 911 about 5 p.m. and said gunshots had woken him up, and that he found Chandler bleeding from his chest. Chandler died from his injuries at a hospital.
Chandler shot himself, Davis told police.
After an interview with detectives, Davis said he shot Chandler during an argument after Chandler fired at him.
Investigators found shell casings from a .22-caliber rifle that was next to Chandler in the house and from the .380-caliber gun that Davis used.
Davis buried the gun outside the residence, he told police. Investigators dug it up.
Defense attorney Bryan Hershman told the court that his client doesn’t have prior criminal history and was put into a bad situation.
“He’s a good young man, as I believe Mr. Chandler was,” Hershman said.
Davis apologized when it was his turn to address the court.
“There was no winners,” he said.
As Judge Arend handed down her sentence, she said there were “enough questions about what actually happened,” that the high-end was appropriate.
