Chop Suey Shooters' Charges Filed, LaBranche Released

"Reflections on Old Justice" by Jonathan Hanlon.

Carlos Bernadez has been charged with murder in the first degree for his direct involvement with the Chop Suey shooting last weekend. Bernadez was the man police allege opened fire from the side door of the venue, killing one and injuring two others. Roger Allen LaBranche, the first man to be arrested in conjunction with the night's events, has been charged with assault and drug-dealing. As the investigation unfolds, LaBranche may be charged with something more serious; for now, this charge allows the county to keep him as a suspect for accomplice in the murder of 29-E while they continue to clarify what exactly happened to lead up to Saturday night's violence.

The ever-investigative JSeattle from CHS thought to check the King County Jail site last night and found that a Roger Allen LaBranche was arrested in October on drug possession and stolen property charges (good thinking, J!). When we went to check on LaBranche's status regarding this month's arrest this morning, we saw that he had been released from custody with no bail at 11:57 p.m. last night.