CAPTURED: WMW viewer tip to Crime Stoppers identifies suspect in shooting in Pioneer Square
CAPTURE UPDATE February 10, 2020 --
Seattle Police have arrested a suspect accused of shooting a man in the leg in the Pioneer Square area on March 4, 2019.
Michael Denzel Tarrance, 29, was taken into custody on Friday, February 7, 2020.
He is charged with Assault in the 1st Degree and is being held in the King County Jail on $250,000 bail.
Detectives say Tarrance was identified from surveillance video, thanks to an anonymous tip from a Washington's Most Wanted viewer to Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound, after we aired the case in October, 2019.
According to the probable cause documents, Tarrance was previously arrested by Tukwila Police at Westfield Southcenter Mall two weeks after the Pioneer Square shooting for brandishing a firearm during a theft. The firearm matched the shell casings recovered at the scene of the Seattle shooting.
Detectives who arrested Tarrance at the mall noted he was wearing the same distinct tennis shoes as seen on the surveillance video of the shooting in Seattle. At the time of his arrest by Tukwila Police, Tarrance had not been identified as a suspect in the shooting in the Pioneer Square area.
Court documents say Seattle Police homicide detectives received an anonymous tip in late December, 2019 identifying Tarrance. Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound has confirmed that tip came from a Washington's Most Wanted viewer.
Tarrance's criminal history includes convictions in Illinois for:
Tarrance is WMW Capture #1139 thanks to tips from our viewers.
WANTED IN SEATTLE October 4, 2019 --
Seattle Police need your help to identify a gunman who shot a man in the leg.
Detectives have exhausted all their leads and are hoping the surveillance video will help spark your memory.
The shooting happened at Prefontaine Place, just across the street from the King County Courthouse in downtown Seattle on March 4th, at about 11:30pm.
"You see the suspect. We've conveniently put a circle around him and you watch that and there's an altercation that takes place in Prefontaine Place. You're going to see the victim standing there, talking and it's kind of like 'Circling the wagon' and all of a sudden it looks like they're going to get into a fight. You see a lot of people standing there. There's a lot of witnesses and then all of a sudden everybody starts running, that's when the gun comes out and if you look close at the suspect in this case, you'll actually see a firearm in his hand. When you actually see the suspect point the weapon at the victim's head and chest, we're not sure if it's a misfire, but evidently the victim thought, 'Maybe it's not a real gun?' And, he's mad enough to pursue him across the street and continues to chase him and if you watch the video close you'll see the flash out of the end of the gun as he fires a round back at the victim, which struck him in the leg. When the police came and found him he was actually sitting inside an apartment complex, had his belt off, had a tourniquet around his leg to keep from bleeding to death,” said Ret. Det. Myrle Carner with Crime Stoppers of Puget Sound.
Detectives say the suspect is black, thin and around 6 feet tall. He was wearing a black beanie with a white logo, black or dark-colored hoodie, dark jeans and bright white shoes with a black stripe on the tongue.
If you know who the shooter is, or anything at all that can help Seattle Police identify him, contact Crime Stoppers anonymously through the P3 Tips App on your smart phone, or by calling the hot line at 1-800-222-TIPS(8477).