In the late afternoon of May 26, 2014, a dispute in the White Center neighborhood of Seattle escalated into a fatal encounter for 23-year-old Excalibur Scott, a Black / African American male. Scott had been observing an argument between two other men that was about to turn into a fistfight in the 10700 block of Second Avenue South. He pulled out his cellphone to record the impending brawl, a decision that would tragically cost him his life.
As the two men prepared to fight, one of them,
identified as 28-year-old Drurell Collier, became enraged that Scott was recording them. Witnesses reported that Collier confronted Scott, asking if he wanted "something to film" before shooting the unarmed man in the chest from a distance of about two feet. Scott's own cell phone reportedly captured the moments leading up to the shooting, including his killer's shadow as the gun was raised. After being shot, Scott collapsed, and the phone continued to record as he coughed up blood.
Following the shooting, Collier fled the scene, running to his parents' nearby home. He was arrested shortly after as he tried to leave the residence. Investigators found a handful of. 22 caliber pistol cartridges in his pocket. Prosecutors later alleged that after shooting Scott, Collier broke into another nearby home and stole a sweatshirt in an attempt to change his appearance.
Drurell Collier was subsequently charged with first-degree murder, second-degree assault, and second-degree burglary. Prosecutors described the killing as a "premeditated and intentional murder" of a person who posed no threat. He was held on $2 million bail. During questioning, Collier reportedly denied his involvement and claimed an unknown Samoan man was the shooter, stating that he ran from the scene out of fear.
