A 29-year-old Vancouver man stands accused of punching a woman who refused his sexual advances at a party, and then shooting at her friend’s vehicle as they tried to leave.
Keith A. Williams appeared Thursday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of four counts of first-degree assault, one count of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. He was also arrested on a felony warrant, issued by the Washington State Department of Corrections, for escaping community custody, according to police.
Williams is barred from having guns due to previous convictions, including domestic violence assault and robbery.
Judge John Fairgrieve set Williams’ bail at $500,000. Court records say Williams refused to acknowledge the judge during the hearing.
An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Aug. 13.
Police responded about 3:30 a.m. Saturday for an assault involving a weapon in the 4900 block of East 18th Street, according to a Vancouver Police Department news release.
The victim told officers she’d been at the residence for a party, where Williams asked for her phone number and for sex. She said she heard that Williams had been showing off a gun at the party, so she encouraged her friends to leave, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
She and three friends got into a red Saab; she was in the backseat on the passenger’s side when Williams came up and struck her in the face through the open window, causing her nose to bleed, according to the affidavit.
The victim said she “recalled at least hearing one gunshot after that, as they drove off,” the affidavit says.
A friend in the backseat filmed the assault and handed over the recording to police. It showed Williams standing outside of the car, about 10 feet away, and raising the firearm toward the group as they drove off, according to the affidavit.
As Williams leaves the frame of the video, two distinct gunshots can be heard, according to the affidavit. Officers at the scene spotted a single bullet hole in the rear, quarter panel of the car on its driver’s side. They also recovered two shell casings from around the area where Williams had been standing, according to the affidavit.
No one was able to identify Williams by name when police responded, but a friend of the victim contacted detectives and provided photos of him from social media. Also, a resident where the party happened later told police he saw Williams with a gun, as well as the shooting.
Williams was located Wednesday in the 11700 block of Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard, police said.
Police are seeking additional witnesses or leads in the case. Anyone with information on the incident should contact the Vancouver Police Department Tip Line at 360-487-7399.
