January 10, 2013 at 9:23 AM
Man charged in fatal shooting at Bellevue bar pleads not guilty

Ja’Mari Jones, charged with second degree murder in the fatal shooting of a Seattle man in a Bellevue bar on Christmas Eve, pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday in King County Superior Court. (Photo by Mike Siegel / The Seattle Times)
The 19-year-old Renton man arrested last week in connection with a fatal shooting inside a Bellevue nightclub on Dec. 24 pleaded not guilty this morning to second-degree murder.
Ja’Mari Alexander-Alan Jones was arrested in a stolen car in Lakewood on Jan. 2. If convicted, he faces up to 28 years in prison, according to King County prosecutors.
Jones is accused of fatally shooting DeShawn Milliken, 30, in the Mirror Lounge at Munchbar, a restaurant in Bellevue Square. Witnesses and surveillance video were used to identify Jones as a suspect, according to police.
Video footage shows Jones talking with a man near Milliken and his younger sister, Destiny Milliken, 21, according to the court papers. DeShawn Milliken seemed to recognize Jones and then tackled him. His sister appeared to fight with the other man, Michael Cheatham, who had entered the bar with Jones.
About eight seconds later, DeShawn Milliken turned away from Jones, but was then tackled by Cheatham.
That’s when Jones brandished a gun, pointed it at DeShawn Milliken and fired at least five shots, according to charging papers.
Jones was one of three youths who pleaded guilty in April 2009 to manslaughter in the death of 53-year-old Ed “Tuba Man” McMichael. The street musician was beaten during an October 2008 robbery near Seattle Center and later died of his injuries.
Jones, Billy Chambers and Kenneth Kelly served time in Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration detention for McMichael’s death.
Comments | More in The Blotter | Topics: Bellevue shooting, Ja'Mari Jones, not guilty plea
December 28, 2012 at 4:35 PM
Bellevue bar shooting suspect charged
The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office Friday charged Ja’Mari Jones, 19, with second-degree murder and requested he be held on $5 million bail for a fatal shooting at a Bellevue bar on Monday. Jones remains at large.
If convicted, prosecutors say he could spend 20 to 28 years in jail for the charge, which has been made with a firearm weapon enhancement.
Video from Bellevue Square’s Munchbar shows Jones–who was convicted in 2009 in the beating death of Ed “Tuba Man” McMichael–entering the bar wearing a red down vest with another man, Michael Cheatham, at about 1 a.m., according to charging papers.
Footage shows Jones and the other man entering the crowded bar and talking near DeShawn Milliken, 30, of Seattle and his sister, according to the account. When Milliken appears to recognize Jones, he tackles him. About eight seconds later Milliken turns away, but is then tackled at the waist by Cheatham.
Charging papers say that’s when Jones brandished a gun, pointed it at Milliken and then fired at least once. Witnesses at the scene reported hearing four to six shots.
Milliken died at the scene of multiple gunshot wounds, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Jones is also seen clearly in the video running out of the crowded bar, court papers state.
Cheatham later flagged down officers near the bar’s parking garage while bleeding heavily from gunshot wounds to his hand and forearm, according to a Bellevue police officer’s report in the charging papers.
Officer Jennifer Robertson reported that Cheatham at first denied coming to the bar with anyone or knowing who shot him. When officers interviewed him again after viewing the video, according to Robertson’s report, Cheatham admitted to being the man in the video and identified Jones as the man in the red vest. He refused to answer any further questions.
Comments | More in The Blotter | Topics: Bellevue, Ja'Mari Jones, Munchbar
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