Man pleads not guilty in Lakewood shooting

A 28-year-old man pleaded not guilty Tuesday to shooting another man in the leg outside a Lakewood restaurant after their girlfriends quarreled inside.

Derek Niumatalolo was charged last week with first-degree assault and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in the Feb. 6 shooting. He was ordered jailed in lieu of $500,000 bail at his arraignment Tuesday.

The other man was shot multiple times in the leg and is expected to survive.

Charging papers give this account:

Niumatalolo and his girlfriend were eating at a restaurant about 4:20 a.m. when the woman “shoulder checked” the victim’s girlfriend and told her to move.

The women got into a “heated argument” and their boyfriends eventually got involved.

After the argument, Niumatalolo and his girlfriend left. The other man and his girlfriend left the restaurant a short time later.

Niumatalolo was rummaging in his trunk nearly and pulled out a pistol. The other man “put his hands up in a defensive motion and turned to run back inside but the defendant then shot him.”

Niumatalolo and his girlfriend fled in his car but a witness jotted down the license plate. Officers found the car shortly afterward parked outside his apartment.

Inside the apartment was ammunition matching the shell casings found at the scene, according to court records.

A warrant was issued for Niumatalolo and he was arrested Friday.

This story was originally published February 17, 2016 at 11:46 AM with the headline "Man pleads not guilty in Lakewood shooting."