In the early morning hours of July 30, 2022, the life of 39-year-old Ronnal J. Hines, a Black male, was cut short in a gas station parking lot in South Tacoma, Washington. What was initially reported as a shootout between two men was later revealed to be a robbery that turned fatal.
The events leading to the tragic incident began at a motel party the previous evening. An ex-girlfriend of Hines was seen speaking with a man named Malik Dashun Patterson.
Later, when Hines and the woman left in a car, Patterson followed them. Around 5:23 a.m., in the 5400 block of South Orchard Street, police responded to reports of two men shooting at each other. Upon arrival, they found Hines unresponsive on the ground, and he was pronounced dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds. The other man had fled.
Investigators utilized surveillance footage which showed Patterson approaching the car Hines was in and pointing a gun at him. Hines, also armed, exited the vehicle, and an exchange of gunfire ensued. Further investigation revealed that Hines's pistol was likely non-functional as the trigger had been broken off. The footage captured the suspect standing over Hines and firing into his head after he had already been shot in the legs.
The investigation led to the arrest of 25-year-old Malik Dashun Patterson on August 16, 2022, who was charged with first- and second-degree murder. A second suspect, 24-year-old Taushelle Devani Ellis-Dorsey, was arrested on September 8, 2022, and booked for second-degree murder. It was discovered that Ellis-Dorsey had helped orchestrate the robbery of Hines. She was with Hines and had been communicating their location to Patterson via text messages. Following the shooting, Ellis-Dorsey and Patterson fled the scene together.
Both Malik Patterson and Taushelle Ellis-Dorsey later pleaded guilty to second-degree murder. The resolution of the case brought a measure of justice for the senseless killing of Ronnal Hines.
