2 charged in fatal attack on Tacoma homeless encampment
Two men who attacked a Tacoma homeless encampment and fatally shot a man trying to protect his tentmates were charged Tuesday with second-degree murder.
Thomas Andrew Pearson, 33, pleaded not guilty at arraignment Wednesday to two counts of second-degree murder. Michael John Red Cloud, 31, pleaded not guilty at arraignment to one count of second-degree murder. There was a warrant out for his arrest, and attorneys told the court he promptly made arrangements to turn himself in.
Superior Court Judge Jack Nevin set bail at $100,000 for Pearson and $75,000 for Red Cloud.
Pearson is accused of killing Patrick Nathan Shenaurlt during a Dec. 3 confrontation at the homeless encampment on the corner of Sixth Avenue and South M Street.
Red Cloud is accused of using a large piece of lumber to hit occupied tents, giving one woman a concussion and breaking another woman’s arm.
Pearson was arrested the night of the shooting but posted $50,000 bail days later and was released.
Charging papers give this account of the homicide:
Red Cloud lives one block from the encampment and was furious with a homeless man who broke into his car days before. He allegedly caught the man prowling his vehicle and held him until police arrived.
His fury grew after the homeless suspect was cited and released for the vehicle prowl rather than arrested due to COVID-19 restrictions at Pierce County Jail.
So he called Pearson for back up, and they went down to the homeless camp.
Red Cloud “acknowledged that he went down to the encampment to try and beat up the suspect who broke into his car, and to try and force all the people living in the tents to leave the area,” prosecutors wrote in charging papers.
Witnesses said they heard a man yelling before he began striking tents with a 2x4 piece of lumber.
Red Cloud admitted being “red hot mad” and screaming “Get off my (expletive) block … we don’t want you here … none of the neighbors want you here,” records say.
Shenaurlt, 38, was inside a tent with three others.
After Red Cloud allegedly struck their tent with the piece of lumber, concussing a woman inside, the woman’s daughter got out to confront Red Cloud and was hit with the lumber. She sustained a broken arm.
That’s when Shenaurlt got out of the tent and allegedly pointed a BB gun at Red Cloud, taking a few steps in Pearson’s direction. Shenaurlt was allegedly holding the weapon close to his stomach.
As Shenaurlt walked past Pearson, Pearson said he “pulled out his gun and fired it at the victim multiple times because he feared he was about to be shot,” according to charging papers.
When Shenaurlt tried to run for safety, Pearson did a “tactical reload” of his gun and holstered it, records say. He then walked to his truck and waited until officers arrived to turn himself in.
Shenaurlt was found a block from the camp. He was taken to an area hospital, where he died. He had been shot twice in the back.
Police said Pearson used a Glock 9mm handgun in the shooting, which was recovered. He also carried a large folding knife, can of mace, ammunition pouch with five rounds, a medical kit, another folding knife clipped to his belt and a metal flashlight.
His handgun had tape over the make and model and the serial number had been painted over.
After being arrested, Pearson told police he went to back up his friend and knew things would get “bad” but had no idea he would be “shooting a gun,” records say.
Red Cloud denied knowing Pearson brought a gun to confront the homeless camp.
Staff writer Alexis Krell contributed to this report.
This story was originally published December 29, 2020 at 5:06 PM.
