SEATTLE — A 54-year-old man who was involved in a road rage incident at Pike Place Market has been charged with the attack on another driver and assault of a woman.
King County prosecutors have charged Timothy Davis Stephenson with two counts of second-degree assault.
According to charging documents, Stephenson has a criminal history in Washington, California, Colorado, and Alaska.
The violent incident initially started in front of the market at 5:15 p.m. with two other drivers who got into an argument, which witnesses said led to a scuffle between a 32-year-old man in a Toyota and a 45-year-old man in a van.
During the argument, the van driver threw water toward the Toyota driver.
According to police, the 32-year-old shoved the 45-year-old to the ground and started driving away.
During that scuffle, police said a new man, later identified as 54-year-old Stephenson, began following the Toyota driver and parked behind him.
Then, Stephenson allegedly got out of his Mazda armed with a hammer, approached the Toyota driver and struck his back windshield, shattering it, police records state. Then Stephenson returned to his car.
Court documents state that the hammer “presumably fell” in the back trunk of the Toyota because the driver got out of his vehicle, picked up the hammer, walked toward Stephenson’s vehicle and began striking the front windshield.
Stephenson then put his car in reverse as the Toyota driver continued toward him, and then Stephenson allegedly struck the man with his car and continued to drive forward.
Police documents state surveillance footage showed Stephenson turning slightly into the Toyota driver, suggesting his attention was to assault the man and cause great bodily harm or death.
The Toyota driver landed on Stephenson’s hood as he continued to accelerate, striking a fence and chairs at a nearby restaurant, records state.
Police said Stephenson swerved left while the man was on his hood and then struck a woman, who works at a nearby venue and was not involved, causing both the woman and the man to fall to the ground.
Stephenson’s car stopped after he struck the Toyota driver’s vehicle.
Police said the Toyota driver then got up, walked toward Stephenson and struck him with the hammer through the open window while he was seated.
At some point, a crowd of people separated the men.
The woman who was struck suffered injuries to her legs, face and right shoulder and was taken to Harborview Medical Center by medics.
The driver of the Toyota was taken to Virginia Mason Medical Center to be checked out and was later booked into the King County Jail for investigation of assault. He was then released pending further investigation.
After Stephenson was taken to Harborview Medical Center for injuries to his left arm, he was booked into the King County Jail for investigation of assault and later charged.
Stephenson’s bail was set at $100,000 but has no felony cases in the state of Washington.
©2022 Cox Media Group
