He confronted a Puyallup man he thought was stealing mail. Now he’s charged with murder

A man accused of fatally shooting a Puyallup man driving a vehicle in his neighborhood Monday near Port Orchard confronted the driver because he suspected the man and others in the car stole his mail, according to charging documents.

In statements to law enforcement, the gunman said he acted in self-defense when he shot at the vehicle.

Chad Michael Landon Wilson, 39, was charged Wednesday in Kitsap County Superior Court with first-degree murder for the killing of 31-year-old Richard Utaifeau Taii. The defendant was arrested at his home a short distance from where the shooting occurred, a residential neighborhood east of Port Orchard in the 5200 block of Brady Place Southeast.

Surveillance video obtained by Kitsap County Sheriff’s Office deputies from multiple residences along that road showed the SUV Taii was driving stopping at mailboxes while a car registered to Wilson followed behind, according to the probable cause document. At a cul-de-sac, Wilson allegedly blocked in the SUV and got out of his vehicle. While the SUV driver tried to drive away, Wilson yelled about his mail and then a gunshot could be heard, records state.

Taii was pronounced dead at the scene after deputies responded at about 10:56 p.m. According to court records, a bullet went through the driver’s-side windshield and struck him in the head.

Pleas of not guilty were entered at the defendant’s arraignment hearing Wednesday, and bail was set at $1 million. In statements to law enforcement, Wilson said he shot at the SUV because the driver accelerated toward him at a high speed, passing about two feet in front of him. According to the probable cause document, Wilson said he confronted the vehicle because he saw its occupants open his mailbox, and he was worried a $1,500 check he was expecting had been stolen.

Taii was previously wanted by the Sheriff’s Office for his alleged involvement in burglaries in Western Washington. Pierce County court records show he has at least seven prior felony convictions, all of which were considered nonviolent. Bench warrants had been issued for his arrest in the county in 2021 for attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle, possession of stolen property and identity theft.

Court records in this case show that Taii was released from Kitsap County Jail about two hours before he was killed. The Kitsap Sun reported that he had been held on $25,000 bail for two counts of second-degree burglary and one count of first-degree theft.

Deputies went to the shooting after dispatchers received multiple 911 calls, including one from a passenger in the SUV described as Taii’s girlfriend. Interviewed by deputies later, the girlfriend and another passenger said they’d come from Tacoma to pick up Taii, then went to a grocery store and a convenience store before Taii started driving through neighborhoods, according to court records.

The girlfriend told deputies Taii pulled over at one point near a large house, and she opened and closed the mailbox. According to the probable cause document, the woman said no other mailboxes were opened by her or others in the car.

At least one piece of mail from Chase Road was visible in the SUV when deputies investigated later, records state. A witness description of the gunman’s vehicle and that piece of mail eventually led deputies to the defendant’s pickup, which was parked in his driveway. According to the probable cause document, the residence’s mailbox and others on the street were hanging open.

Deputies called Wilson after running a records check on his vehicle, and the defendant agreed to speak with law enforcement. After Wilson was arrested, deputies executed a search warrant at his home and found a loaded 9 mm handgun in a safe. According to court records, the ammunition matched rounds found in Wilson’s vehicle and those recovered at the shooting scene.