On the evening of April 22, 2023, Sirrone Sel Arthur Newbern, a 25-year-old male, found himself in a situation that would tragically end his life. He was a passenger in a car with another man and a woman, headed to an apartment complex in the 1800 block of South 15th Street in Tacoma, Washington. Earlier, the man he was with had been on the phone with 32-year-old Timothy Terrell Williams, who had indicated he was armed and wanted to engage in a one-on-one fight.
Newbern made it clear he wanted no part in the unfolding conflict and was merely trying to stay out of trouble.
They arrived at the apartment complex shortly after 10:30 p.m. Williams reiterated his challenge for a fight with the other man, threatening to shoot anyone who interfered. The confrontation quickly escalated, with Williams throwing the first punch. As the fight ensued and the other man began to gain the upper hand, Williams pulled out a gun and started firing. In the chaos, multiple bullets struck Newbern. The man who had been fighting with Williams fled the scene, while the woman in the car and Williams himself both called 9-1-1 to report the shooting. First responders arrived to find Newbern on the ground between two apartment buildings. Despite their efforts, including performing CPR, he was declared dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds.
Timothy Terrell Williams was arrested at the scene without incident and immediately confessed to the shooting, admitting he was intoxicated. He was initially charged with second-degree murder. However, the legal proceedings saw the charges amended as part of a plea agreement. Williams ultimately pleaded guilty to first-degree manslaughter. The prosecution noted that eyewitness accounts had been contradictory and that key witnesses were reluctant to testify, which would have made proving the original murder charge difficult. Williams was sentenced to eight-and-a-half years in prison for the death of Sirrone Newbern, who was an uninvolved bystander to the initial dispute.
