Pasco man faces prison for shooting victim in foot during dispute

A Pasco man has admitted shooting a Kennewick man in the foot during a dispute between two groups in a Pasco neighborhood.

Kenyatta T. Turner, 30, faces prison time for his guilty plea in Franklin County Superior Court to second-degree assault.

The charges were reduced from first-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a gun because of uncooperative witnesses.

Some court documents have spelled Turner’s first name as Kenyetta.

The Pasco man turned himself in to police more than two weeks after multiple witnesses identified him as the shooter.

During a June 24 dispute at East Butte Street and South Douglas Avenue, Turner stood in the middle of the road and fired a pistol at a person in a car on Douglas, according to court documents. He continued to shoot at the car as it drove away.

Callers told police dispatchers that they heard about seven to eight gunshots and saw two vehicles leaving the area, documents said. Police recovered 25 shell casings at the scene.

Miguel A. Montenegro was hit in the foot after he ducked behind a vehicle. Police found him in one of the vehicles driving away, and Montenegro and the driver denied being involved.

After the shooting, Turner jumped in a pickup and left.

Sudric Turner is accused of being the driver and is charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance. He lives about 50 feet from where the shooting took place and was arrested after returning home in the apparent getaway vehicle, court documents said. He refused to give a statement to officers.

Sudric Turner’s case has been on hold since February, when he was ordered to undergo a mental health evaluation through Eastern State Hospital.

Kenyatta Turner’s mother, questioned during the investigation, said she watched her son fire a pistol into an occupied vehicle but claimed his actions were in self-defense.

Deputy Prosecutor Frank Jenny said the plea agreement is “a reasonable compromise” given several issues his office has had with witnesses in the case. Sentencing is set for June 16.

The charge carries a standard range of two years and nine months to three years and seven months in prison. However, prosecutors said they will recommend a shorter sentence of one year in prison and agree not to bring any other charges related to this shooting.

This story was originally published April 16, 2015 at 10:00 PM with the headline "Pasco man faces prison for shooting victim in foot during dispute."