Man attempts carjacking in Tacoma, but a witness shot him in leg, court records show
A Tacoma carjacking suspect who lured the victim out of his vehicle by telling him he had a flat tire was then shot by a witness who intervened, according to charging papers.
The 29-year-old pleaded not guilty at arraignment Wednesday to first-degree robbery and second-degree assault. He was ordered held in lieu of $10,000 bail.
Court records make these allegations about what happened:
A man was sitting in his car Sunday by the laundromat he was using near the 3700 block of South L Street when the suspect told him he had a flat tire. When he got out to check, the would-be carjacker got behind the wheel.
The two men struggled, the victim yelled for help, and the suspect was able to grab the keys.
That’s when a witness who’d been working on a house nearby arrived with a gun and got the suspect out of the car.
The suspect allegedly told the witness with the gun, “Oh, I need that.”
Then the defendant allegedly took out a knife, and told the man, “Shoot me.”
As the suspect came toward him, the witness gave him a couple warnings before he shot him in the leg.
Investigators didn’t find the suspect with a knife but noted he was holding a pipe.
After about 30 minutes of negotiations they were able to take him into custody without incident. He was taken to a hospital and was later booked into the Pierce County Jail.
