Murder & assault charges filed in death of transit operator

On December 23, the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office charged a defendant with:

• Murder in the First Degree with a deadly weapon enhancement
• Assault in the Second Degree
• Assault in the Third Degree

The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office asked the Court to hold the defendant with $5 million bail. The Court set bail at that amount.

“Transit drivers are dedicated public servants who provide a critical service to the people of King County, and this kind of violence is unacceptable,” King County Prosecuting Attorney Leesa Manion said. 

“Shawn Yim’s death is heartbreaking, and he will not be forgotten. We want clear accountability at each step of the court process.”

The defendant is expected to remain in jail on the bail amount set by the Court.

On the three charges: 

• the Murder in the First Degree charge is for the death of Metro driver Shawn Yim; 
• the Assault in the Second Degree charge is for the pepper spray used against Mr. Yim before the stabbing; and 
• the Assault in the Third Degree charge is for the kick to Mr. Yim before the stabbing. Each are separate offenses under the law.

There have been questions about the defendant's arrest in a 2023 homicide investigation. 

After numerous search warrants and months of investigation in that 2023 case, there was insufficient evidence to disprove the defendant’s claim that he acted in self-defense. 

A case was not dismissed by prosecutors. A case was not declined. A case was not dropped. 

The case was not referred to prosecutors when the defendant was in custody in 2023. As noted in the charging documents filed today, “If able, under the law, the King County Prosecutor’s Office would have filed murder charges against the defendant for the killing.”

Defendants are innocent until proven guilty.