No charges filed in fatal Ashford tavern shooting

Pierce County prosecutors said Thursday they will not file charges against a 32-year-old man who fatally shot an unarmed man outside an Ashford bar last month.

Prosecutors said they do not believe they could disprove the man fired in self-defense.

The man was arrested at his Eatonville home when he called 911 to turn himself in hours after the Feb. 7 shooting of Paul Hawlett, 50. He was released from jail the next day while detectives continued their investigation.

Hewlett died Feb. 8.

Investigators said the men apparently argued over a woman who worked at a bar in the 30300 block of state Route 706.

Hewlett once dated the woman, and when he came into the bar earlier that night, she accused him of stalking her.

The shooting happened in the parking lot about 11:30 p.m. after the bar closed for the night.

Detectives have said Hewlett wasn’t armed but believe he sought out the other man.

This story was originally published March 10, 2016 at 2:14 PM with the headline "No charges filed in fatal Ashford tavern shooting."