Community Corner

Munchbar Shooting Suspect, Ja'mari Jones, In Custody

Ja'mari Alexander Alan Jones faces a charge of murder in the second degree in the shooting death of DeShawn Milliken, 30, at Muchbar on Christmas Eve.

The suspect in the Munchbar shooting on Christmas Eve, Ja’mari Alexander Alan Jones was taken into custody in Lakewood during a traffic stop Wednesday night, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Ja'mari Alexander Alan Jones faces a charge of murder in the second degree in the shooting death of DeShawn Milliken, 30, at Muchbar on Christmas Eve. A Renton man also was injured in the shooting.

The second-degree murder charge against Jones was filed last week by the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, and prosecutors requested Jones held in lieu of $5 million bail.

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Jones was taken into custody by the Lakewood Police Department just after 8 p.m. Wednesday, according to a press release by Bellevue Police Department spokeswoman Officer Carla Iafrate, after Lakewood officers randomly ran the license plate of a Toyota Corolla in the 10800 block of Pacific Highway South and found that it had been reported stolen from Auburn.

Jones and his 20 year-old girlfriend were arrested without incident on suspicion of possession of a stolen vehicle, according to the Bellevue release.

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During the investigation of the stolen vehicle, it was discovered that Jones was wanted in the Bellevue homicide, according to the Bellevue police department release.

Bellevue police detectives were notified and both Jones and his girlfriend were transported to the Bellevue Police Department jail.

Both were interviewed by detectives and later transported to King County Jail.  Jones was booked for Murder 2 with a $5 million dollar bail bond. His girlfriend was booked on suspicion of Rendering Criminal Assistance. Patch does not name suspects until formal charges are filed.

The Toyota was impounded and towed to the Bellevue Police Department as part of the homicide investigation, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Jones is accused of shooting Milliken fatally and injuring another man after an altercation at Munchbar, a nightclub at Bellevue Square.

At least two tribute websites mourned Milliken's death, with one seeking financial support for his family. One website described Milliken, a Garfield High grad, as "a father, brother, son, uncle, grandson, friend, provider, protector and role model to many. A beacon of positivity, Deshawn touched many lives. For instance, he adopted a daughter, fed the less fortunate, and took care of numerous at-risk youths in the central district area that lacked father figures."

Police say that Jones fired up to five shots into the crowded Munchbar in Bellevue Square at about 1 a.m. Christmas Eve during a party to celebrate the Seattle Seahawks’ 42-13 win over San Francisco. The Seattle Times and KING 5 both reported that several Seahawks players were at the bar at the time but were in a VIP room at the time of the shooting. They were escorted from the bar without incident.

There were reportedly more than 600 patrons at the bar at the time of the shooting, and the situation was chaotic inside the bar while police officers tried to secure the scene, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

Surveillance video and witness testimony assisted detectives in identifying the shooter as Jones.

When Jones was a teenager, he served 36 weeks in juvenile detention for his part in the high-profile 2008 beating death of Ed “Tuba Man” McMichael. Jones – then 16 – Billy Chambers and Kenneth Kelly pleaded guilty to reduced manslaughter charges, after McMichael was attacked, robbed and beaten near a Seattle bus stop. He died several days after the attack. The three teens all served about 36 weeks in juvenile detention for the murder.

Previous coverage:

  • Report: Bellevue Bar Shooting Victim Identified as Garfield Grad
  • Suspect in Fatal Bellevue Bar Shooting was Convicted in 'Tuba Man' Killing


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