The accused assailant in the deadly July 4th knife attack that left a 45-year-old man dead on the sidewalk outside the Broadway and Pike service station has been charged with first degree murder.

Prosecutors say evidence shows Sana Ceesay, 53, stabbed his victim 13 times in the back, neck, and chest in the early morning assault.

Fontaine Jackson, 45, suffered multiple stab wounds and died at the scene. According to the police report on the incident, witnesses tried to stop the attack, pelting Ceesay with a rock and finally using pepper spray to send him fleeing from the scene. He was detained by private security near Pine and Boylston where police took him into custody. Ceesay was treated at Harborview before being booked into King County Jail.

Video of the attack was also captured on a Seattle Department of Transportation traffic camera.

Police say Ceesay told officers Jackson had stolen his phone charging cord and also had a knife. In the Seattle Police report, Ceesay provided an Edmonds apartment as his home address but both Ceesay and the victim have listed addresses at Seattle homelessness facilities in recent arrest reports, according to court documents.

Prosecutors say Ceesay has an extensive criminal record:

“Few of those cases were referred to the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office – two in the previous 8 years,” a representative for the King County Prosecutor said in a statement on the charge. “Other cases were handled by separate offices.”

Police say witnesses described a brutal attack with Jackson running from the knife-wielding Ceesay on Broadway where he fell to the ground and the assault continued. According to witness accounts, Ceesay continued to stab the victim “5-7 times” while he was on the ground and made a “sawing motion.” One witness said the victim yelled “something to the effect of ‘why are you doing this, I don’t even know you’” during the attack.

Video captured by the SDOT traffic camera at the intersection shows two men running across Broadway onto the sidewalk in front of the service station. The man in pursuit can be seen making repeated stabbing motions as the chase ends with the victim down on the sidewalk and the assault continuing for 30 more seconds until witnesses run toward the scene and begin to drive the attacker off. The victim lies motionless as the man flees.

Ceesay will enter a plea on the murder charge later this month. He remains in King County Jail held on $2 million bail.

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