Suspect in Fatal Munchbar Shooting Pleads Not Guilty

Ja'mari Alexander Alan Jones pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, in the fatal shooting of DeShawn Milliken on Christmas Eve at Munchbar, according to the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office.

Jones was taken into custody in Lakewood last week during a traffic stop Wednesday night when he and his girlfriend were riding in a car reported stolen, according to the Bellevue Police Department.

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

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

According to the SeattlePI.com, a Bellevue detective testified in court Thursday that Milliken tackled Jones in an incident captured on video. The detective said that one of Jones' friends pulled Milliken off, and Jones shot Milliken, the SeattlePI.com reported.

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.

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."

Several weeks after the fatal shooting, Kemper Development Company, Munchbar's landlord, announced that .

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:

• Munchbar Shut Permanently in Aftermath of Christmas Eve Shooting
• Woman Arrested with Munchbar Shooting Suspect to be Released
• Report: Bellevue Bar Shooting Victim Identified as Garfield Grad
• Suspect in Fatal Bellevue Bar Shooting was Convicted in 'Tuba Man' Killing