A Rochester man has pleaded guilty to shooting a tire shop employee on King Street in June, an attack that left the victim with serious, life-altering injuries and now carries a promised 14-year prison sentence. Tyree Washington, 44, admitted to first-degree assault and criminal possession of a weapon, closing out a case that began with a SWAT arrest and a U.S. Marshals manhunt.
According to WHEC, Washington pleaded guilty Friday to assault in the first degree and criminal possession of a weapon. Investigators say he shot the tire shop employee in the torso on June 19, and WHEC reports he will be sentenced to 14 years in prison plus five years of post-release supervision, running concurrently on both charges.
The shooting happened around 6:30 p.m. that day at a tire shop on King Street, where the victim, a man in his 40s, was working when Washington arrived in a vehicle looking for him, according to 13WHAM. Police say the victim walked up to the driver's-side door of Washington's car and was shot there. He was taken to Strong Memorial Hospital with serious, life-altering injuries, the station reported.
Charges and the Hunt for a Suspect
Washington had originally been charged with second-degree attempted murder, first-degree assault, and second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, per RochesterFirst. The guilty plea to assault and weapon possession resolves those charges.
He didn't stay free for long after the shooting. The same 13WHAM report notes that members of a U.S. Marshals Service task force located Washington entering a home on Genesee Street, where Rochester police SWAT took him into custody. U.S. Marshals took him into custody on June 25. WHEC reported that police said Washington was on probation when he was arrested.
Held Without Bail, Sentencing Set for December
Washington has been held without bail at the Monroe County Jail since his arrest, the earlier coverage noted. As 13WHAM reports, he is scheduled to be sentenced in December, when the 14-year prison term and five years of post-release supervision are expected to be formally imposed.
