ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis County man, arrested and charged in 2021 for what became St. Louis' first homicide of that year, was sentenced Thursday to a decade in prison.
A St. Louis Circuit Court announced that Tishawn Washington, 21, pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter in the 2021 shooting death of Demont Coleman, 22. He was sentenced Thursday to 10 years in prison.
Washington was arrested in 2021 by U.S. Marshals in Harris County, Texas. He was originally charged with first-degree murder, armed criminal action and unlawful use of a weapon; as part of a plea deal, his murder charge was amended to manslaughter and his other charges were dismissed.
The murder happened blocks away from Fairground Park in the city's Jeff-Vander-Lou neighborhood on Jan. 4, 2021. St. Louis police were called to the 3800 block of Ashland Avenue for a report of a shooting.
According to charging documents, Washington was inside a home with his girlfriend when Coleman, who previously dated the woman, banged on the front door. Washington fired several shots through the door, killing Coleman, prosecutors said.
It was unclear if Coleman was armed when he came to the home.
When officers arrived, they found Coleman suffering from gunshot wounds nearby in the 3900 block of Lexington Avenue, police said. Emergency responders took him to a hospital where he was pronounced dead.
Coleman's death was the first homicide in St. Louis in 2021.
Resources for crime victims:
If you have been a victim of a crime or know someone who has been, 5 On Your Side has compiled a list of resources.
Better Family Life is a nonprofit community development organization working to “stabilize inner-city neighborhoods.” One aspect of its mission is a gun violence de-escalation program.
To learn more, call 314-381-8200 or visit https://www.betterfamilylife.org/
Life Outside of Violence “helps those harmed by stabbing, gunshot or assault receive the treatment, support and resources they need to find alternatives to end the cycle of violence.”
To learn more, call 314-327-6697 or email: ProjectLOV@WUSTL.edu
The Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis has an anti-crime program called “Safety Net for Youth Initiative,” which is a joint partnership between and Saint Louis Public Schools to provide services to at-risk youth.
To learn more, visit https://www.ulstl.com/anti-crime-initiative.html
Cure Violence is an international organization that has recently launched in a handful of St. Louis neighborhoods. Violence interrupters are trained to deescalate violent situations within their own communities. To learn more, visit https://cvg.org/
