Tacoma man gets 21 months for single-punch homicide

Jabril Jones got a break Friday, just not as big of one as he was hoping for.

A Pierce County Superior Court judge sentenced the 30-year-old Tacoma man to one year, nine months in prison for throwing a punch that last year wound up killing Patrick Redmond, 58.

The sentence was below the standard range of two years, two months to two years, 10 months for Jones’ second-degree manslaughter conviction, but it was above the one-year sentence Jones’ defense team sought.

“There’s no good trade-off in any of this,” Judge Phil Sorensen said before handing down the sentence.

Redmond died Aug. 23, 2014, from complications of a head injury he suffered after Jones punched him outside a Tacoma sports bar.

Jones had been using his cellphone to photograph people coming and going from the bar, including Redmond. The older man asked Jones to stop and knocked his phone out of his hand when he didn’t, court records show.

Jones responded by punching Redmond once in the head, causing him to fall and hit his head on the ground.

Redmond, who had underlying health conditions, languished in the hospital for two weeks before succumbing to his injuries.

On Friday, Redmond’s brother described him as “a kind, gentle, brilliant guy.”

Patrick Redmond, an expert in marine propulsion, worked in the local maritime industry and was well-loved by friends and family, Michael Redmond said.

“He worked very hard,” Michael Redmond said. “His friends took his loss very, very hard.”

Jones, too, was described as a hard worker by family and friends who submitted letters on his behalf to Sorensen.

The defendant told the judge he plans to seek work as soon as he’s released from prison so he can continue supporting his family, including three children.

He “offered his deepest apologies” for what happened to Redmond, saying it was never his intention to kill him, and acknowledged that the victim’s family “has suffered far more than I have.”

Sorensen acknowledged Jones’ remorse and said he could best honor the memory of Redmond by becoming a productive member of society.

“Whether you’re up to it or not will be tested every day,” the judge said.

This story was originally published December 4, 2015 at 4:46 PM with the headline "Tacoma man gets 21 months for single-punch homicide."