A 37-year-old Kent man pleaded not guilty on Thursday morning to second-degree murder in connection with the shooting of a 42-year-old Kent man on Sept. 10 near downtown.
Matthew C. Chancellor entered the plea in King County Superior Court at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Chancellor remains in custody at the county jail with bail set at $500,000.
Chancellor allegedly chased James Knowlton and shot him once in the chest as he sat in his car along East Saar Street just west of Central Avenue South. Knowlton died at the scene.
During an interview with detectives, Chancellor said Knowlton had disrespected Chancellor’s mother. A friend of the two men told police he thought the dispute had to do with Knowlton owing a drug debt of $50 to Chancellor.
Chancellor, who is unable to legally possess a firearm due to his criminal history, is also charged with first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, his criminal record includes felony convictions for second-degree burglary in 1999 in Pierce County, first-degree burglary in 2002 in Oregon and numerous misdemeanor convictions including drug charges in 2005 and 2007, unlawful possession of a firearm in 2008, violation of a no-contact order three times in 2010, fourth-degree assault in 2009 and 2010, displaying a weapon in 2011, possession of a dangerous weapon in 2010 and possessing a weapon on school grounds in 2015.
On the morning of Sept. 10, Chancellor said he saw Knowlton standing out front of a friend’s house in the 100 block of East Willis Street and yelled at him as he pulled up in his truck. Knowlton took off running, so Chancellor parked the truck, retrieved a 9 mm pistol from under the driver’s seat, placed the gun in his waistband and chased Knowlton down a nearby alley.
As Chancellor rounded a corner, he saw Knowlton backing his car out of it where it was parked. Chancellor said he drew his gun in an effort to get Knowlton to stop so they could talk and that the gun accidentally went off. He said he heard Knowlton make a moaning sound, so he ran back to his friend’s house, woke up the friend, told him Knowlton had been hurt and took him to the location of the car before fleeing the area.
Police arrested Chancellor later that night while parked in his truck at a church parking lot near 94th Avenue South and South 248th Street.
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