A man accused of shooting and killing Seattle community activist Elijah Lewis argued in King County Superior Court he acted in self-defense, but prosecutors say he overreacted to a minor traffic mishap and had a history of road rage.
A jury heard opening statements on Tuesday in the trial of Patrick Cooney, 37, who is charged with second-degree murder in the death of Lewis and first-degree assault in the shooting of Lewis’ 9-year-old nephew.
Lewis, a 23-year-old entrepreneur and community activist who took part in protests after George Floyd’s murder, was killed April 1, 2023. According to family members, Lewis was driving his nephew to a monster truck rally for the child’s birthday when they were shot.
In a trial memo, prosecutors described three times between 2022 and 2023 when Cooney’s road rage was reported to Seattle police. In one incident, prosecutors wrote, Cooney knocked on the trunk of a vehicle blocking a bike lane, and pulled a gun from his waistband when the driver got out of her car. The woman later told police he said “I ought to kill your (expletive),” according to court documents.
Defense attorney James Dixon said in his opening statement there was “no question” Cooney killed Lewis and injured his nephew, but argued Cooney had reason to shoot. Dixon said two witnesses would testify during the trial that they saw Lewis swerve his vehicle toward Cooney, who was riding a scooter.
“We know that a motor vehicle can be a dangerous weapon,” Dixon said, adding Cooney was thrown off balance from the scooter and made an “instantaneous” decision to shoot as a result of his “stress reaction.”
Lewis was driving on East Pine Street when he overtook Cooney on the scooter and tried to turn right. The two men had a confrontation as Lewis rolled down his window and Cooney allegedly shot at Lewis’ Toyota Camry, hitting the front passenger-side door and two windows.
After he was shot, Lewis kept driving until he crashed into a parked Prius.
“Even as the vehicle turned the corner and left the frame (of a security video), Cooney can still be seen walking in the direction of the vehicle with the gun in his hand,” prosecutors wrote in a trial brief.
Lewis’ nephew later said in a forensic interview that the man on the scooter yelled something to the effect of “watch where you’re going” and Lewis yelled “shut your (expletive) up. I’ll run you over.”
Quincy Dunham, Lewis’ sister, testified that Lewis had been unable to attend a celebration the family had for her son’s ninth birthday on March 31 at the Museum of Pop Culture. He surprised him the day after with plans to take him to a monster truck rally. Dunham said she heard gunshots minutes after Lewis picked up her son from their Capitol Hill apartment.
She described looking out her apartment window to see people running from the commotion. “I was like a deer in headlights,” she said.
Lewis, who was shot in the back, died shortly after he was taken to Harborview Medical Center. His nephew was hit in the calf by a bullet and was later discharged.
“I ceased to be the person who I was from that day on,” Dunham said. “Everything changed. Everything about my life is not the same. My son is not the same. My family is not the same.”
Four bullets were recovered and matched with Cooney’s handgun, according to court documents. Seattle police Officer Ella Brooks testified she arrived at the scene to find Lewis struggling for air.
Many of Lewis’ family members cried as they watched Brooks’ body camera footage. Cooney, wearing a light gray suit, sat quietly in the courtroom throughout the day.
Lewis, who grew up in Seattle and graduated from Rainier Beach High School, was involved with Africatown Community Land Trust, an organization focused on preserving the city’s Black community. He did community outreach with Black vendors, artists, poets and singers for events in the Central District and Rainier Valley, and was described by family members as an active entrepreneur. At 18, Lewis spoke in front of thousands of people at Seattle’s student-led March For Our Lives to demand stricter gun laws, and in 2020 he spoke in front of hundreds during summer protests against police violence.
The jury will continue hearing testimony this week, and arguments are expected to wrap up next week.