Puyallup Tribal Member Sentenced For 2017 Assault

TACOMA, WA - A U.S. District Court in Seattle this week sentenced a member of the Puyallup Tribe to more than one year in prison for assaulting and strangling his girlfriend on the Swinomish Reservation in October 2017.

Tacoma resident Shawn Michael Sam, 20, pleaded guilty to assault by strangulation on Aug. 29, 2018. On Tuesday, he was sentenced to 18 months in prison, followed by another three years of supervised release.

Sam was indicted on the assault charge about one month after he punched and strangled his girlfriend until she was unconscious before punching her more after she woke up. The Oct. 15, 2017, assault ultimately left Sam's girlfriend with black eyes along with tenderness and swelling around her face.

Following his initial arrest, Sam was released with an electric monitoring device. Sam cut the device, however, on May, 2, 2018.

Sam was located about four week later hiding at his sister's home in Tacoma. When he was confronted again by police, Sam reportedly tried to escape on foot but was arrested.

"We take these matters very seriously and we will not tolerate this behavior in our community," Swinomish Reservation Chairman Brian Cladoosby wrote to the court. "The Violence Against Women Act is important for our State and Nation and protects the most vulnerable in our communities. We support Judge Coughenour to uphold justice for the victims and support his decision."

According to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington, Sam's case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rebecca Cohen and J. Tate London, who both reportedly serve as Tribal Liaisons for the U.S. Attorney’s Office "specially designated to prosecute cases involving Tribal communities."

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