LONG BEACH — “Don’t f**king answer!” is what a man reportedly shouted at the woman who allegedly stabbed him, while she was held up inside a residence.
The incident began on July 6 at about 2:34 p.m. when a 911 caller informed the Pacific County 911 Communications Center that a fight was in progress near 301 Sid Snyder Drive in Long Beach.
The caller, a 55-year-old female, stated that a “female stabbed a boy outside the apartments.” The suspect was later identified as 20-year-old Tatiana M. Bynum, a transient who was temporarily staying with one of the witnesses.
At the time, Bynum was reportedly inside the residence taking a shower.
According to Long Beach Police Department Deputy Chief Casey Meling, units from the LBPD, the Pacific County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and Washington State Parks rushed to the scene—later specified as 1101 Ocean Beach Boulevard.
“There were multiple witnesses to the alleged assault…,” LBPD Officer Miranda West stated in court documents. “There was a male subject… laying on the ground, wearing all black clothing with white wording, and [Meling] observed what appeared to be a puncture wound on [his] abdomen and his forearm was actively bleeding.”
Domestic fight turns violent
According to court documents, the dispute began because the male had been deleting photographs from Bynum’s phone and would not leave her alone, resulting in her coming “out with a knife.”
One witness, at whose residence the incident transpired, notified officers that a firearm was inside the home but locked away. The witness also told officers they had taken the knife away from Bynum and that she was no longer armed.
“I could hear [the male] yelling, ‘Don’t fucking answer,’” West noted in court documents. “Which was directed towards Bynum.”
West asked the witness if the situation was entirely about the deleted photographs. The witness reportedly replied, “Well no, she’s homeless and I was going to house her just until tomorrow but then a bunch of stuff happened. She was trying to break up with him and he wouldn’t take it, so she tried to make him take it.”
Bynum and the male had reportedly been dating “on and off for 4 or 5 years.”
West spoke with additional witnesses who stated the duo were “physically fighting,” and Bynum “got away, and she had a knife.” One witness added that Bynum initially stabbed a car before turning her attention to the victim.
“I asked them if they knew who initiated the physical altercation and they said, ‘her,’” West stated. “I asked them if she went after him with the knife in her hand and they said yeah. [One witness] stated, ‘they crossed the street.’ [Another] was stating, ‘she chased him all over here, went around the bush with the knife. He was running. She already got him in the side because he was holding his side and she, uhm, chased him.’”
West asked if the witnesses heard Bynum say anything. They replied, “Yeah, she said ‘I’m gonna f**king kill you!’”
According to court documents, West and other units attempted to speak with the victim, who “was being very uncooperative throughout the duration of the contact and would give little information about what occurred.”
Officers obtained signed consent from the homeowner to search for the knife and seize it as evidence.
“The knife was located in the kitchen sink,” West stated. “The knife had a silver blade with a black handle. There was what appeared to be red blood smeared on the tip of the blade. The blood appeared to stop approximately 1.5 to 2 inches from [the] tip of the blade on the knife. Photographs were taken and the knife was secured in [Meling’s] patrol vehicle for evidence.”
Bynum was placed in a patrol vehicle, read her Miranda Rights, and declined to speak.
“I briefly spoke with [the alleged victim] that was sitting on the back of the ambulance, and he told me, ‘I’m not pressing any charges against her,’” West stated in court documents. “‘She didn’t do nothing to me.’”
The victim asserted that his injuries were caused by a “thorn bush” and refused medical attention at the scene.
Surveillance shows chase
However, law enforcement did not need to rely on a victim statement, as officers noticed several surveillance cameras in the area. They were able to obtain footage of the incident, including the alleged stabbing.
“In the footage, I observed Bynum and [the male] involved in an argument,” West stated. “[He] was holding a bottle of what appeared to be Crown Royal. Bynum kept yelling at [him] stating, ‘You won’t leave me alone. You won’t leave me alone,’ and appears to be concealing something underneath her shirt with a right hand being hidden.”
“Bynum then pulls what appears to be a knife out of her shirt and goes towards the white vehicle located in the driveway of the residence. Bynum is seen attempting to stab the front passenger side tire while [the male] attempts to stop her from doing so. The two are seen wrestling around while the knife is still in Bynum’s hand. Bynum eventually gets away and you can hear [the male] moaning and saying something to the effect, ‘ahhh…ahhh…’”
“Bynum then runs to the rear of the vehicle and begins to scream. [The male] is seen attempting to stop Bynum from damaging his vehicle while stating the words, ‘Stop!’ Bynum is seen swinging at [him] with the knife. Then you see [him] running away towards the street, Ocean Beach Boulevard, and Bynum is chasing him with the knife still in her hand,” West added.
West could reportedly hear the male saying, “stop and ahhh…ahhh,” but was unable to hear anything further from Bynum. The duo then went out of the camera’s frame before the male ran back into view, dropped to the ground while holding his side, and moaned, “ahhh…ahhh.”
The footage shows the male lifting his shirt and looking down at his abdomen, where officers later observed the injury.
Bynum was booked into the Pacific County Jail for first-degree attempted murder. The charge was downgraded to second-degree attempted murder during a preliminary appearance in Pacific County Superior Court on Tuesday, July 7.
According to court documents, her bail was set at $500,000.
As of reporting, the extent of the victim’s injuries and his current condition remain unknown.