Repeat, violent offenders back in the spotlight - again - after downtown Seattle shooting
SEATTLE - The suspects in a deadly downtown Seattle shooting are still on the loose and have a very long and violent criminal history.
Marquise Tolbert has 21 arrests, and some of his most recent convictions are felonies.
On June 2018, police say he stole about a $1,000 worth of goods from a Target and tried to evade police before he was arrested.
On August 2018, he went after a woman inside a Michael`s store in Bellevue and violently snatched a necklace off the victim. The victim has scratches and a torn shirt that`s considered robbery in the second degree. Tolbert was found guilty of the robbery.
But in the case of the robbery, a police officer wrote:
“He kept telling me to go ahead and prove it in court. He continued to be confrontational and acted like it was not a big deal for him to be there.”
When it comes to court appearances, Tolbert doesn’t show up for those either. In 2017, a prosecutor said Tolbert had 18 warrants issued for his arrest after failing to appear since 2014.
The second suspect, William Toliver, has 44 arrests, and some of his most recent cases involve domestic violence.
On May 2019, a woman who has a child with Toliver filed for a protective order saying Toliver threatened her with a gun. She says he also threatened to kill her, their child and others.
Toliver has been charged for other domestic violence cases involving other women, in addition to theft and unlawful firearm charges.
But one of the most disturbing cases raising questions is an incident from July 2018.
Both Tolbert and Toliver are accused of playing a part in a drive-by shooting in Kent. In court documents, authorities accused Toliver of driving the car while Tolbert and a third man started shooting at another car. A bullet even pierced a nearby home. Luckily no one was hurt in that incident.
In the end, the case against Toliver was dismissed by the King County Prosecutor`s Office and Tolbert`s charges appeared to have been downgraded from a drive-by shooting to discharging a firearm.
Q13 News questioned Satterberg’s office about why the cases were handled in that way.
King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office released this statement.
“As in every case, our office is working non-stop with law enforcement on this horrific shooting. We had prosecutors at the scene who worked with law enforcement throughout the night, continuing into today, and will continue to do so as long as it takes to ensure that those responsible for this violence are in custody. After arrests are made, we will review the case and consider whether the evidence supports the filing of criminal charges. Consistent with our role in the criminal justice system, and in order to maintain the integrity of the related cases, we will not be making any additional statements at this time. We support the ongoing efforts of the Mayor and Seattle Police Department.”
The statement, however, does not answer any of the questions Q13 News asked regarding previous cases.
It's not the first or even the second time repeat, violent offenders have made headlines for wreaking havoc on downtown businesses. Two reports released by the Downtown Business Association detail the hundreds of repeat offenders who cycle in and out of the criminal justice system, only to end up back on the streets committing more crimes.