1 shot, 3 arrested after protesters clash in Olympia on state Capitol Campus
LATEST UPDATE: State Patrol arrests man accused of Capitol Campus shooting, seeks witness
One person was shot and three arrested after two protest groups clashed near and on the state Capitol Campus in Olympia Saturday afternoon, according to the Washington State Patrol and Olympia police.
The shooting suspect, a 25-year-old Bellingham man, was arrested on suspicion of first-degree assault, Thurston County Superior Court records revealed on Monday. Over the weekend, the State Patrol tweeted that the man was from Shoreline.
The victim was transported to an area hospital by a private party, said Sgt. Darren Wright.
Details about the victim were still not known as of Sunday morning.
The two groups — anti-fascist-style protesters and Proud Boy/Trump supporters — once again clashed near the Capitol Campus about 12:30 p.m., Olympia police Lt. Paul Lower said.
Police declared a riot and then issued orders to disperse the group, which moved them on to the campus itself.
The black-clad group, a look that is sometimes associated with Antifa, numbered about 100 people, compared to half that number or less for the Trump supporters. Both groups then shifted closer to Sid Snyder Avenue when someone was reportedly shot, according to Wright.
During the initial conflict between the two groups, Olympia police made one arrest for a weapons violation, a gross misdemeanor, and later, two more people were arrested in the area of Union Avenue and Capitol Way. Lower said one officer was hit with a baton-like object, while another was hit by a large piece of concrete.
The Sunday morning Thurston County Jail log shows the following: A 38-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of felony second-degree assault and a 37-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of felony third-degree assault. Both were taken into custody by Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies, the jail log shows.
About 100 law enforcement personnel were in the downtown area on Saturday after a similar protest happened on Dec. 5. Olympia police were assisted by Thurston County Sheriff’s deputies, the State Patrol and a SWAT vehicle.
Law enforcement frequently used loud noise-generating devices to keep the Antifa group from marching through downtown’s core.
The group tried to snake its way through downtown, but was largely kept to the perimeter of the downtown area, and then the march appeared to lose steam near Heritage Park.
Lower said there was a concerted effort on Saturday to keep both groups away to protect those shopping downtown. He said there would be a large presence of law enforcement downtown and on the city’s west side Saturday evening.
This story was originally published December 12, 2020 at 4:56 PM with the headline "1 shot, 3 arrested after protesters clash in Olympia on state Capitol Campus."
