On an autumn afternoon in Lakewood, Washington, the life of 18-year-old Rodney Chandler, a Black male, was cut short by a fatal gunshot wound. The events of October 24, 2018, unfolded at a residence on Meadow Road, where an argument between friends escalated into a tragedy.
Earlier in the day, Chandler had been with his 21-year-old acquaintance, Curtis Pierre Davis IV, and another friend. Neighbors reported seeing them drinking and wrestling outside the apartment.
An argument broke out between two of them, setting a grim tone for what was to come. Around 5 p.m., a 911 call was made by Davis, who initially claimed he had been awakened by gunshots and found Chandler bleeding from the chest with a. 22-caliber rifle beside him, suggesting a self-inflicted wound.
However, the narrative began to shift as Lakewood police detectives delved into the investigation. In a later interview, Davis changed his story, admitting he had shot Chandler during the argument. He claimed that Chandler had fired at him with the rifle, prompting him to return fire with a. 380-caliber pistol. Investigators at the scene discovered shell casings from both firearms, as well as several bullet holes in the walls, indicating a more complex event than a suicide. Davis also confessed to burying the pistol he used outside the residence, which authorities later unearthed.
Curtis Davis IV was arrested and booked into the Pierce County Jail. He was initially charged with second-degree murder and first-degree manslaughter, to which he pleaded not guilty. In January 2020, Davis pleaded guilty to the lesser charges of second-degree manslaughter and residential burglary. He was sentenced to five years and ten months in prison. During the sentencing, Davis's plea statement maintained that he believed Chandler had fired at him while he was sleeping. Chandler's family disputed this account, expressing their profound loss and the belief that the sentence was too lenient for the life that was taken. His older brother described Rodney as "courageous, joyful and caring," a young man whose life had barely begun.
