Judge to rule on charges in Bremerton school shooting

BY Brandi Kruse  on May 14, 2012 @ 5:18 pm (Updated: 6:37 pm - 5/14/12 )

aminabowman_bremertonshooting.jpg
Prosecutors in Kitsap County believe Jamie Lee Chaffin and her boyfriend, Douglas Bauer, are to blame for the Feb. 22 shooting at Armin Jahr Elementary that left eight-year-old Amina Kocer-Bowman critically wounded. | Zoom
A court hearing Tuesday in Port Orchard could determine whether assault charges will stand against the couple prosecutors say are to blame for a school shooting that nearly killed a Bremerton girl.

Jamie Lee Chaffin and her boyfriend, Douglas Bauer, have been charged with illegal possession of a firearm and assault in the Feb. 22 shooting at Armin Jahr Elementary that left 8-year-old Amina Kocer-Bowman critically wounded.

Chaffin's 9-year-old son brought a .45 caliber handgun to the school in his backpack, where it accidentally discharged, according to the Bremerton Police Department. The weapon belonged to Bauer.

Defense attorneys for Chaffin and Bauer have asked that the assault charges be dismissed.

"They are definitely novel," Wayne Fricke, Bauer's attorney, said of the charges. "And I truly believe that whether it's in Superior Court or Court of Appeals, that this case will not see a jury."

But the prosecution argues that the shooting was due to "extreme negligence" on the part of Chaffin and Bauer.

Both sides are expected to present oral arguments to Judge M. Karlynn Haberly Tuesday, who will decide whether the charges should be thrown out.

The 9-year-old boy in the case pleaded guilty to reckless endangerment, unlawful possession of a firearm and bringing a weapon to school in March. If the case moves forward to trial, he is expected to testify against his mother as part of a plea deal with prosecutors.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (8)


  • Add A Comment

  • soo purletiv wrote...
    9 years old
    May 14, 2012 8:40 pm
    and being forced to testify against mom and (of course) her ding-a-ling boyfriend.

    Imagine that, if you can.

    In time, I believe, these charges will be dropped or at least lowered to lesser charges.

    IMHO, the boyfriend should be held "more" accountable than anyone else. His gun, his car, his glove box, his negligence.

    Poor kid. Never had a chance in this backwards world.......

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • cg5611 wrote...
    being responsible
    May 15, 2012 3:25 am
    I hope this does go to trial. I support the right of citizens to own guns. There are plenty of gun control laws, the only thing I'd change would be the sentencing amounts, much longer times for illegally having a gun. The courts need to hold accontable those who do not follow the law. The kid stood up to what he did, if mom had not put him in harms way none of this would have happened. I'm sure it will be difficult to testify against her but he'll get thru it. The boyfriend needs to go to jail for a long time.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • TigerSGT wrote...
    forced parental laws
    May 15, 2012 3:28 am
    you shouldn't be allowed to have a child until your "legally approved". i hate government but this only goes to show, we need population control. These morons are too stoned to care.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • tbookout17 wrote...
    @tiger
    May 15, 2012 5:01 am
    Yeah that sounds nice but how do you prevent folks from getting pregnant before they get "approved"? Forced abortions? Jail time? Its just not feasible that I can see. Maybe if we got rid of the incentive (welfare) we would see fewer losers procreating but we all know that won't happen.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BikeNazi wrote...
    Don't forget about the Marysville cop
    May 15, 2012 6:32 am
    Whose 4 year old murdered the 7 year old in the car with his gun. No charges filed against that pig. This should be thrown out too.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • NWGUY wrote...
    Have the charges been dropped
    May 15, 2012 8:27 am
    against the couple in tacoma? that is almost identical to the Marysville cop scenario, The dad gets out, then the mom gets out, then the kid gets a gun, and tragedy results.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • kanajune wrote...
    Not the right charge
    May 15, 2012 7:24 am
    Assault is a very poor charge to ever get to court with over this incident. Negligence would have been more appropriate. If the prosecutor wants to trailblaze a new application of the law, he needs to start in the legislature. This is an utter waste of time as things stand.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RonJ wrote...
    I believe
    May 15, 2012 9:21 am
    the Bremerton couple SHOULD be charged and convicted. Now what about the Marysville cop? Where are the charges against him?
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }