Kent man charged in violent attack near Seattle Great Wheel

In a shocking incident caught on video, a 22-year-old Kent man has been charged with three counts of assault following a violent attack near the Seattle Great Wheel.

SEATTLE - In a shocking incident caught on video, a 22-year-old Kent man has been charged with three counts of assault following a violent attack near the Seattle Great Wheel.

The brutal beatdown occurred on April 10, when two women and a man were returning home from work. Thankfully, the victims are expected to recover, and their pursuit of justice has been aided by a concerned neighbor who recorded the incident with her cell phone.

A witness alarmed by an argument unfolding on the street below immediately began recording and then called 911. According to Seattle police, the victims — a brother, sister, and their cousin — commented on a black BMW SUV parked uncomfortably close to the front of their car.

Unbeknownst to them, the driver, identified as Dell’Lil Downs, had his window down and took offense to their comments. Video showed him exit his vehicle wearing all orange, leading to a heated exchange with Downs yelling at them.

The situation escalated when the sister, who is 5'3" and weighs 110 pounds, attempted to intervene by flipping Downs' phone out of his hand. In response, he struck her in the face with an open hand, knocking her unconscious.

Downs then turned his aggression toward the brother, who was attempting to defuse the situation with his hands raised. Downs punched him in the face and then also attacked the female cousin, knocking her to the pavement.

Despite the presence of security personnel nearby, Downs fled the scene in his vehicle. It took approximately six minutes for the sister, who suffered a severe concussion, to regain consciousness.

Seattle police quickly traced the vehicle's license plate back to Downs and learned he had been in court earlier that day. His name may sound familiar, as he is the brother of Janeice Downs, who faces charges related to leading an organized theft ring that stole $500,000 worth of Lululemon clothing.

Remarkably, the attack transpired just hours after Janeice and their mother, Janeice Wiley, were arraigned for their alleged involvement in the organized retail theft case. Detectives noted that Downs was wearing the same orange outfit in court footage and later found a photo of him in orange at his workplace.

The evidence led King County prosecutors to charge Downs with one count of third-degree assault and two counts of fourth-degree assault.

A check of his criminal history includes juvenile felony convictions for first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, second-degree assault and drive-by shooting in 2017. He has misdemeanor convictions for fourth-degree assault-DV and interfering with domestic violence reporting in 2021. He has no adult felony convictions.

He appeared for his arraignment and has pleaded not guilty. Currently, Downs remains free from custody as he awaits trial.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the violence that can erupt anywhere quickly, and the importance of good witnesses and video evidence to ensure justice is served.