Teens charged in assault on stripper, weapons possession

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Written by: 195 on Mar 18, 2010

Prosecutors have filed assault and firearms charges against two teens accused of groping a dancer at a downtown Seattle strip club before using a pistol to accost a man.

Describing the March 11 incidents in court documents, a Seattle detective said the string of altercations began inside the Déjà Vu Showgirls club in the 1500 block of 1st Ave.

According to charging documents, Christopher Bryant Demus, 18, was receiving a private dance from a 20-year-old stripper there when he began grabbing her. Police claim Demus also exposed himself to the dancer before he and a friend, 18-year-old Carlos Alberto Chaidez, were ejected from the club.

Prosecutors alleged the teens' continued to behave badly on the street where, shortly before 2:30 a.m., Chaidez and Demus allegedly accosted a man who'd parked his car in the parking lot where the two men stood.

"Demus asked (the man) 'What you laughing at, cuz?' and started to bait (him) into a fight by chest bumping him," a Seattle detective told the court.

As Demus continued to attempt to provoke a fight, Chaidez went to a nearby Land Rover, grabbed a .380 cal. pistol and chambered a round, the detective told the court. Chaidez then held the pistol against the driver's neck, shifting the firearm to the man's chest and then chin.

Fearing for his life, the man returned to his car and called 911. According to the detective's statement, officers arriving at the scene watched as Demus dropped a handgun under the SUV's tire.

Examining the pistol, described as a .22 cal. Kel-Tec, officers found it was ready to fire with a live round in the chamber and the safety off, the detective said. Officers noted another pistol on the rear seat of the SUV.

Chaidez, who had left the scene prior, was arrested shortly after police arrived. The detective told the court the teen directed him to the location of the pistol drawn in the parking lot.

Chaidez, of Edmonds, has been charged with second-degree assault and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, both felonies. Initially jailed, he was released after posting bond on $75,000 bail.

Demus has been charged with misdemeanor assault and carrying a firearm with intent to intimidate. Briefly jailed, he has pleaded not guilty to both misdemeanor counts according to Seattle Municipal Court records.

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