Trial ordered in shooting death at Boulder Station

By Matt Pordum

Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2005 | 9:38 a.m.

A 20-year-old man accused of killing another in the parking lot of Boulder Station on Oct. 7. will stand trial, Justice of the Peace Ann E. Zimmerman ruled Tuesday.

Anthony Cojoe is charged with the murder of Prince Albert Tillman, 49, and the attempted murder of Rasul Sykes, 26. He is scheduled for arraignment on Jan. 26 before District Judge David Wall.

Prosecutors said the shooting was the result of an argument between Sykes and his neighbor, 20-year-old Timothy Coleman, at the Town and Country Manor residential motel at 5390 Boulder Highway.

Sykes testified Tuesday that after exchanging words with Coleman he walked down the highway toward a bus stop in front of Nevada Palace and became concerned about his safety when Coleman followed him in a car.

He said he called Tillman and asked him to pick him up at Nevada Palace, and when Tillman arrived, they drove off, but were followed by Coleman and another car driven by Martin Quintanan with Cojoe as a passenger.

Quintana testified Tuesday neither he nor Cojoe were not part of the initial altercation, but things changed for the worse after his twin brother, Jason Quintana, called him, asking him to come and help him in the fight.

Quintana said he drove his yellow Lincoln Continental with Cojoe and another friend to help his brother fight Tillman and Sykes. He said after spotting Tillman and Sykes in a Nissan Sentra at Nevada Palace he chased them down Boulder Highway in his car with his brother and Coleman in a Dodge Neon.

He said at a red light he and Cojoe jumped out of his car "on instinct" after Sykes emerged from the Nissan and approached them.

Quintana said an argument and fight ensued with Sykes, but when the light turned green everyone involved returned to their cars. He said he then turned right into the Boulder Station parking lot, followed by Sykes and Tillman. He said his brother and Coleman turned into the parking lot right behind Sykes and Tillman.

Quintana said his brother and Coleman got out of their car and fought with against Sykes and Tillman, who were still seated in there car. He said Coleman screamed, "Get the gun, get the gun."

He said as Sykes and Tillman tried to drive away, Cojoe pulled out a gun and started shooting.

"Tony (Cojoe) was standing next to my car, and I saw him lifting up his shirt going for a gun," Quintana said. "I heard screeching tires and a gun shot."

Sykes was shot in the left shoulder and survived. Tillman was dead at the scene.

Quintana said he asked Cojoe, "Tony, why did you shoot him, why did you shoot him," and Cojoe told him he "thought he had to protect himself so he shot him."

Quintana said he and Cojoe initially agreed not to "tell anyone what happened," but after he heard Tillman died, he decided to turn himself in to police.

Cojoe's attorney, Special Public Defender Randall Pike, said the timing of when Sykes and Tillman backed up the car would be a key issue in the case because he plans to argue Cojoe acted in self-defense.

"The district attorney's office has prosecuted individuals saying they used a car as a deadly weapon," Pike said. "The car backed up and he shot them fearing his life was being threatened. Seems like self-defense to me."