It was a cold Tuesday morning on January 14th when 48-year-old Ernest Searcy encountered another 48-year-old man on East L and Puyallup Avenue. They did not speak long and at no time did Ernest behave in any sort of threatening manner, but this did not stop the other man from shooting him twice then driving away. A passerby jotted down the license plate number of the man’s car and the man was arrested a short time after that. An individual administered CPR to Ernest until paramedics arrived, but they were unable to revive him. Ernest Searcy is the second Tacoma homicide of 2020.
Ernest was born in New Jersey. Growing up, Ernest was someone who picked things up very quickly. He’d create his own dances and write and perform raps. His grandmother nicknamed him ‘Speedy’. After high school he joined Job Corp and met Shalonda Nelson. The two of them had a daughter named Diamond. Though the relationship did not last, his love for his daughter never faded. He moved to Tacoma to reconnect with her. It wasn’t easy. Eventually they did reconnect and he started going to church with her.
When he wasn’t making music or spending time with his daughter, Ernest was a licensed forklift operator. He was someone who liked to laugh and had a habit of lightening the mood of any room he was in.
When a senseless killing like this happens, it’s difficult to understand or reconcile because there is a sudden hole in the lives of everyone who knew the victim. It’s something that changes lives in a way that can only be truly understood by others who have lost someone to violence.
As always, the comments section is moderated and reserved for those who knew Ernest and want to share thoughts or memories of him.
- Jack
tacomastories.com 