Ukiah man to face murder trial in killing of homeless man

A Ukiah man who claimed self-defense after shooting to death a young homeless man near his home was ordered to stand trial for murder following a preliminary hearing Friday in Mendocino County Superior Court.

Judge John Behnke also found there was sufficient evidence to try Steven Ryan, 62, on a special allegation of using a firearm - a .45 caliber semiautomatic Springfield pistol - to kill DeShaun Davis, 20.

Ryan, a disabled former dock worker, told police he was defending himself when he shot Davis on Nov. 21 following an argument that began about ?11:20 a.m. after he found the man outside his rented home on a vineyard property. He told investigators Davis appeared to be intoxicated, claimed to be armed and threatened to kill him. He was coming at him clutching at his clothing as though grabbing for a weapon when he fired his gun, according to court testimony.

“He made it very clear he was afraid of Mr. Davis,” said Detective Clinton Wyant under questioning from the prosecutor, Deputy District Attorney Caitlin Keane.

But Mendocino County sheriff’s detectives contend evidence, including an eyewitness account, did not support a claim of self-defense.

The witness, Elvia Valencia, told deputies she saw Davis drop to his knees and hold his hands up after Ryan fired the first of three shots, according to court testimony.

Davis said, “I give up,” Wyant said.

Valencia said she then heard two additional shots and saw Davis fall to the ground, he said.

“In her opinion, she did not feel he (Davis) needed to be shot,” Wyant said.

Davis was 63 feet from Ryan and was struck by two of the bullets, according to court testimony. One hit his hand while the other, fatal shot, struck him in the chest, according to testimony.

The shooting stemmed from a confrontation over whether Davis was trespassing, according to court testimony.

Ryan was drinking coffee on the back porch of his home about 11 a.m. when he heard someone swearing loudly in the vicinity of a house and some dumpsters, located about 50 yards away.

He walked through his house, toward the front porch, picking up his pistol along the way and placing it in his pants at the small of his back, according to court testimony.

Initially, he saw no one, but then Davis, whom he had never met before, appeared, pushing a bicycle up the road. Ryan told detectives he asked Davis whether he could help him, and an argument ensued over whether Davis was trespassing.

Davis, yelling and swearing, threw his bicycle to the ground and continued toward Ryan, according to testimony.

Valencia, who said she was about 30 yards away, testified that she saw Davis walking at that point, not charging at pace as Ryan has contended.

“I’m a Marine. I can do whatever I want,” Valencia reported hearing Davis say.

There was no evidence provided that Davis had been a Marine. According to Davis’ family members attending a prior hearing, he was born in Ukiah and raised mostly in Lake County but also lived for a time in South Carolina. In 2014, he attended one semester at Mendocino College, where he played football, school officials said. Davis’ family declined to comment on Friday. It was unclear how long he’d been homeless.

Ryan is a Navy veteran, according to his attorney, Assistant Public Defender Carly Dolan.

He is disabled from a back injury from his time working on ship docks, she said. He uses an implanted morphine pump to ease his pain, according to court testimony.

Ryan’s next court appearance is Feb. 10 to be arraigned on the charges. A trial date has not yet been set.