MILL CREEK — Jesse Quincy asked a Snohomish County judge to grant him some time to get his affairs in order before being sent to prison. That was just hours before the Kent man was fatally wounded during a police shooting in a Mill Creek cul de sac.
Quincy, 33, died of a gunshot wound to the head. A Mill Creek police officer is on paid leave while a special team of detectives investigates the circumstances surrounding Quincy’s death, which is standard for all police shootings.
The officer, a 20-year veteran, opened fire during a reported car prowl early Friday morning in the Highlands South neighborhood. Investigators have released few other details about what transpired between the police officer and Quincy.
Friends of the slain man say they don’t understand why Quincy was shot and have questions about what happened.
“Why would a 20-year veteran use deadly force for a suspected car prowl?” Quincy’s friend, Peggy Rud, said. “We want it looked into and not forgotten about.”
Rud said she believes that Quincy had gone to the neighborhood to pick up a friend who called him for help.
“He was a great friend,” she said. “There was more to him than his criminal history. He’d made mistakes but that’s not who he was. He was a caring person. He would help anyone he could.”
Court records show that Quincy had battled drugs and resorted to stealing to feed his habit. He served about three years in prison for a 2003 theft.
Quincy was back in court Thursday afternoon. He was scheduled to be sentenced for four charges, including possession of stolen vehicles, possession of methamphetamine and unlawful possession of a firearm, according to court records. During that hearing he also pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen $30,000 Corvette in November.
Quincy was facing up to five years in prison, court documents show.
His attorney asked the judge to delay sentencing.
“They asked for a 30-day continuance. (Quincy) said he had to move his stuff out of his house into storage because he was going to prison,” Snohomish County Superior Court Judge Larry McKeeman said Tuesday.
McKeeman agreed to postpone the sentencing for 10 days. Quincy was ordered to return to court Feb. 4.
Detectives continue to interview people and examine evidence collected at the place where Quincy was fatally wounded, Snohomish County sheriff’s spokeswoman Rebecca Hover said.
The Mill Creek officer hasn’t been interviewed.
Investigators are reviewing evidence and doing other background work before they speak with the officer, Hover said. No date for that interview has been set.
Detectives also are working to get a search warrant for a black truck they towed away from the scene, which they expect to examine for possible evidence.
Witnesses reported seeing the truck crash into parked cars in a driveway in the Mill Creek cul de sac where Quincy was shot. Detectives have refused to comment on whether they believe Quincy had been at the wheel.
Quincy’s death is being investigated by detectives from around the county. The team is typically called in to investigate officer-involved shootings. They generally forward their investigations to Snohomish County prosecutors who determine if any illegal conduct contributed to the shooting.
“These types of cases take time,” Hover said. “We want to make sure we do a thorough and accurate job.”
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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