King County prosecutors charged a 29-year-old Kent man Monday with first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with the Oct. 25 shooting over a drug deal in the Panther Lake area that injured a 31-year-old Seattle man.
Demetrius Cortez Dixon is scheduled to be arraigned on the charge Nov. 14 at the Norm Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Kent Police arrested Dixon Oct. 26 for investigation of first-degree assault. Prosecutors continue to investigate the case and additional charges are likely, according to charging papers.
“Both the defendant and the victim arrived at the drug deal armed,” according to the bail request by prosecutors. “When the drug deal went awry, the defendant shot the victim in the stomach and fled the scene. The victim received prompt medical attention and will survive.”
Dixon remained in custody Tuesday at the county jail at the Regional Justice Center with bail set at $150,000.
The Seattle man suffered an injury from a single gunshot wound to his abdomen. Officers responded at about 6:59 p.m. Oct. 25 to the 20500 block of 108th Avenue Southeast and found the Seattle man on the ground in the parking lot outside of the Great American Casino.
The man was conscious and breathing when found. Kent Fire Department and medical personnel treated the man, who was stabilized and transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. There were no other injuries during the incident.
The two men reportedly had agreed to meet at the parking lot to exchange cash for marijuana, according to charging papers. Dixon allegedly shot the man, took the marijuana and left in a Jeep Cherokee.
Dixon told detectives that the man pulled a gun on him when they met inside Dixon’s vehicle and he feared being shot so he shot the man in the stomach.
Working from witness information and evidence recovered during their investigation, detectives were able to quickly identify and locate Dixon to arrest him.
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