Fentanyl, a counterfeit bill and gunfire. Man charged with murder in Fife killing

A man has been arrested for a fatal shooting in Fife after he allegedly sought to buy drugs with a counterfeit bill earlier this year.

Tyler James Webster, 29, was arrested and booked into Pierce County Jail on Friday in the killing of 28-year-old Nicholas Harju. Prosecutors charged Webster with first-degree murder, second-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, court records show.

A plea of not guilty was entered on his behalf during Monday’s arraignment at Pierce County Superior Court. Court Commissioner Barbara McInvaille set bail at $2 million, records show.

Charging details

At 10:27 p.m. March 16, Fife police officers were dispatched to report of a drive-by shooting in the 5000 block of Pacific Highway East. Harju was lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. The gunman reportedly drove off in a newer white sedan, according to charging documents.

Tacoma Fire Department personnel rendered medical aid, and Harju was taken to a local hospital where he died from the injuries, prosecutors wrote.

Detectives identified Webster as the suspect through video surveillance and statements from witnesses. Some witnesses also identified Webster through a photo montage that detectives provided.

Harju’s friend who reported the incident to police dispatch said she was sitting in her vehicle when the shooting happened. Harju was speaking to someone just outside the driver’s side of her vehicle. She heard a gunshot and saw the gunman drive off, prosecutors wrote.

The friend said that Harju possibly knew his killer, who went by the name “Coastal.” She also told police that the gunman was transient and owned a firearm. He later was identified as Webster, documents show.

Another witness who was friends with Harju later relayed to detectives what happened.

He said he and Harju were trying to get money for a motel room, so they were going to sell fentanyl powder. One of Webster’s friends approached the witness, saying that Webster wanted $20 worth of fentanyl, prosecutors wrote.

The witness told Harju, who was sitting in the passenger seat of a pickup, that Webster wanted the drugs. When Harju began to weigh the drugs, the witness went over to the vehicle that Webster was in to get the $20. When he gave the money to Harju, the victim noticed it was a counterfeit. The witness gave the counterfeit bill to Webster, who got mad that they were denying him the drugs, prosecutors wrote.

Webster allegedly walked over the pickup, reached in and pushed Harju on the head while yelling, “You think I’m a punk!” Webster then reached into his waistband to pull out a firearm and shot Harju, court records show. The witness ran over to the truck, and Webster went back to his vehicle, documents show. Webster and the driver left.

The witness and another friend helped Harju out of the truck. That friend relayed to police the same information as the previous witness. The witness was inside the truck when Webster allegedly came up to Harju and said, “Give me your (expletive),” referring to the drugs. The witness told Webster to stop and at that time Webster allegedly pulled the trigger, prosecutors wrote.

Webster was arrested in Snoqualmie on April 21, but released after he swallowed a bag of narcotics. At that time, Snoqualmie police did not know he was a homicide suspect. Police found him in a stolen vehicle, but he fled and was later located again, prosecutors wrote.

Webster has five prior felony convictions and is prohibited from owning or possessing a firearm, records show.