TACOMA, Wash. — Charging documents were released Monday for 18-year-old Naim Hicks, accused of killing a blind man from Tacoma last month in an apparent road rage incident.
Back on December 2, investigators say Hicks was in an SUV without its lights on. He didn’t stop at an intersection, almost hitting Steven Bird and his friends. Charging documents say one of Bird’s friends then threw their keys at the SUV.
Police say Hicks got out of the car, confronted the group, and punched Bird ― who hit his head on the pavement. According to court documents, a witness says they heard the fall from six stories above. The 63-year-old died from the injury five days later.
Naim Hicks was arrested last Thursday and charged with second-degree murder. He remains in jail on $1 million bail.
We sat down with Bird’s friends and family, who say he was a ‘perfect’ person, and an advocate for the disabled community in Tacoma.
“Steven was the kind of person that always wanted to help, to help make things better, to help people,” said Laura Svancarek, Interim Executive Director at Downtown on the Go.
His family says that Steven Bird loved fighting for those handling similar disabilities as himself. Part of Bird’s advocacy work even involved trying to make it safer for people to get around without a car.
The past month at Andrea and Doug Williams’ home has been a continual outpouring of comradery and support, full of people who knew their late brother-in-law Steven.
“We had 60 people in our house the Friday after it happened,” said Doug and Andrea Williams, “Steve’s community of friends was large, very large.”
His personality is still very much alive in his family’s memory.
“A sense of humor, kindness, wit — he was crazily intelligent and curious about the world around him and the people around him,” remembered Doug.
It was people and books that Steven loved the most, as well as using his voice. Doug recalls he loved to be the orator at gatherings with his booming voice.
Steve was legally blind, a disease that overtook his vision in the decades since he was first diagnosed. But what he lacked in sight, he made up for in advocacy for the disabled community in Tacoma.
“He was just a perfect human being and just fabulous,” said Andrea. She says Steven would say he thought he was going to get hit by a car eventually.
A memorial service for Steven Bird is planned for next month.