Chop Suey Suspects Held on Bail, Plus New Details

By scott
(0 votes) (report abuse)

This afternoon a King County judge set bail at $2 million for each of the two suspects in the Sunday morning shooting at a hip-hop concert at Chop Suey.

The first of the two suspects, 25 year old Roger Labranche of Everett, was arrested at the scene of the crime on Sunday morning after he had been grabbed and detained by clubgoers in the aftermath of the shooting.  The second, Carlos Bernandez, 18, was arrested by the SWAT team at his parent's residence in Seattle yesterday afternoon following a stakeout. He later confessed his role in the shootings to police.

Witnesses to the crime had identified Bernandez as the first shooter who knocked on a back door to the club and fired several shots, striking all three of the victims. After this, witnesses say that Mr. Labranche chased down one of the Victims ("Victim A") and fired one round at him. It's not clear if that shot struck its target.  Victim A sustained the least serious injuries of the three victims.  He was treated at Harborview and later released.

According to court documents, the shooting was part of a long-running dispute between Victim A and Mr. Labranche, but the exact nature of that dispute is not detailed in the filings.  Victim A had seen Labranche outside of the club earlier in the evening talking to a man that was later identified as Mr. Bernandez.  Mr. Benandez claims that he knew Labranche from working together, and was approached by Labranche that night, given a Colt .45, and told that he was needed to help shoot someone. Bernandez claims he participated because of a threat of force made by Labranche.

If there's any good news here, it's that this violence was part of an interpersonal issue between one man and one of the victims, and not part of any larger gang activity or pattern of retaliation. The fact that it happened in a crowded night club and took the life of one man and severely injured another is just awful.  And we'll have to watch to see if the charges against Labranche can hold up if it's found that he didn't actually fire the fatal shot. I've heard that his lawyer is already disputing the version of events told by Bernandez.

Formal charges are expected later in the week.

tags: Homicide, Chop Suey + add tags
savecancel
posted on Mon, Jan 05, 2009 04:09 PM
last updated on Mon, Jan 05, 2009 04:21 PM
Share this post:
Permalink
chop suey shooting bytommy January 05, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
i am friends wit one of the victims and he told me from his hospital bed that Roger had absolutley nothing to do with any of the shootings, he is very adament on that fact and is eager to tell the police and rogers lawyers about this horiffic mix up. He explained that he knows for a fact that Roger didn't know or talk to the shooter and can't believe that roger was arrested at all, he also stated that roger was getting jumped by four people while the shooting took place. the justice system has already failed the victims by taking away the truth from this terrible incident. thanks for reading, we must have actual justice for anything less is a travisty.
RE: chop suey shooting byT January 06, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
Tommy, Thanks for getting the truth out there.
RE: chop suey shooting by? January 06, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
And which victim would that be?
RE: chop suey shooting byT January 08, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
Thanks Tommy just wanted to see it. And no Tommy's not playin' Rog got another drug charge. And Tyra I know him well enough to know how to spell his last name which is more than I can say for you.....
chop suey byYour boy from the 425 livin in January 06, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Roger is one of the most stand up guys on this earth and I'm sick of the truth not provaling, Thanks Tommy for the truth
RE: chop suey bypinochio January 06, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
I guess we will have to wait and see about that. Guys that fit that description rarely find themselves charged with murder.
Chop Suey byTyra January 06, 2009 (1 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Roger Labranch has been a big gangsta thug for years. Of course he was involved. Anyone to believe that he wasn't must not know him well. He deserves whatever he gets.
RE: Chop Suey bytommy January 07, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
first of all averey turner aka 1st black prez aka prezwell jackson is the friend i refered to as far as talkin to at the hospital, he invited roger that night and roger goes to all the shows that prez promotes, roger has only a d.u.i and a minor charge from before he was 18. just now tonight the prosecutor dropped all charges except minor drug charges from some stuff in his car!!!! Roger is gettin out tonight, so screw all you nay sayers!! he didn't do anything. hahahahahahaha thats justice
roger labranch byTim January 07, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Dude was whack. He's going to be in jail 4 life. Now wha ninja? ha ha ha
RE: roger labranch by? January 07, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse)
Watch what you say
M-U-R-D-E-R byRoger Labranch January 07, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Roger "gay-face" Labranch is guilty. Everyone knows it. Stop playin' Tommy.
Minor drug charges? byAnon January 07, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
The Stranger reports that LaBranch was charged with possessing an ounce and a half of coke, 300 tablets of ecstacy, 2.5+ ounces of pot and $7,000 in cash in a backpack in his rented car. Those aren't exactly minor drug charges. The prosecutor is probably just holding off on bringing murder charges as a bargaining chip to try to get him to name his supplier.
Roger Lebranche byfam man January 08, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Trauma You sounded pretty sure of Your self on the news. But making false accusations about Roger in a couple casses makes you look full of sh!t. Now he's out on bail how you feelin now, it seems like you don't know whats goin on huh.You showed your true colors to the whole nation, What you gonna rap about now {GANGSTA}HaHaHaHa.
Minor drug charges for Roger huh? byagain..really? January 08, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Meanwhile, Roger LaBranche, the man whose feud with one of the surviving victims allegedly was at the core of the violence, was hit with drug possesion charges. Charging papers say police found 45 grams of cocaine, nearly 300 ecstasy pills, 81 grams of marijuana, a handgun and $7,000 cash in LaBranche's car.
300 ecstasy pills, 81 grams of marijuana, a handgun and $7,000 cash in LaBranche's car byNick Santos January 08, 2009 (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
Look like Rog is in trouble. Karma is a bitch. Now what f**ker...
U guys are funny byU know who1 month ago (0 votes) (report abuse) (reply)
LMFAO! This is some funny style shit, Roger is a little bag of sugar, a dead beat dad, bum ass, balding ass pu**y with a gun... who says this dude's a stand up guy? That says alot about your own character, and proves that you don't know sh!t. Dude's probably gonna' get off cause he's gotta fairly clean record and a good attorney but he'll always be stuck with the worst sentence of all... life in his own bum ass shoes, being a real life loser and a member of the hairclub for men since middle school! LMMFAO!
Add Your Comment
Name:
Email:
(will not be displayed)
Subject:
Comment: