Thurston County Scanner, News, and Weather

One man is dead following a shooting near Rainier Vista Community Park in Lacey after the annual July 3rd Fireworks Show had ended.

According to Lacey Police, who were dispatched to the scene around 11:00 pm, the incident started as an argument in the neighborhood and moved into a field south of the park. Witnesses reported hearing an argument just before shots were fired.

Officers arrived and quickly called for medics from Lacey Fire. Aid was rendered to the victim who did not survive.

Due to initial uncertainty about whether there was still an active threat, deputies from Thurston County Sheriff’s Office responded, as well as officers from Olympia and Tumwater Police Departments, according to scanner traffic.

The suspect is still outstanding. He is described as a black male in his early 20’s, wearing all black clothing. Anyone who has information should call the Lacey Police Department at 360-459-4333.

The shooting that occurred the evening of Friday, June 17, at the Drexel House Apartments in the 600 block of Pattison St SE, at this time appears to be a self-defense shooting as police say the shooter is not in custody.

Thurston County Scanner, News, and Weather Blog originally reported the incident on Facebook on Friday. Olympia Police were dispatched to the scene at 9:44 pm. 911 reports said that a man had been shot in the lobby, and the shooter was still on scene and another person had secured the firearm in an office.

Olympia Police along with paramedics from Olympia Fire responded and attempted life-saving measures on the man but he died at the scene, according to scanner traffic.

Police say the man was highly agitated and was causing a disturbance outside, then entered the lobby of the apartment complex where he drew a large knife and charged a man sitting in a chair. The man sitting in the chair drew a pistol and shot him twice.

The shooter and witnesses were taken to Olympia Police Department and interviewed by detectives. At this time, the shooter has not been charged and the case remains an open investigation.

According to the Housing Authority of Thurston County, The Drexel House II for Veterans is “permanent supportive housing subsidized with project-based Vouchers.” It is owned and managed by Catholic Community Services. Qualifications are “Single individuals who are chronically homeless at time of application and who may benefit from case management services. There is a priority for honorably discharged veterans.”

A suspect is in custody following a series of crimes – including two armed robberies, a high-speed chase, and shots fired at Deputies near an elementary school – in the Lacey area on Friday afternoon.

It all started when Thurston County Sheriff’s Deputies were dispatched to an armed robbery at Buddie’s Grocery, the Shell station on the corner of Martin & Carpenter, around 2:00 pm. The suspect had fled the scene in a vehicle. This is the second armed robbery at this location in the last six weeks.

Deputies attempted to contact the suspect vehicle at the Arco station on Martin Way near Ranger, according to scanner traffic. The vehicle fled northbound on Hensley St and crashed near Olympic View Elementary School.

Deputies attempted to chase the suspect on foot. It was at this time he fired shots at the Deputies as he was carjacking a Toyota Tundra on Horne St NE. The suspect successfully carjacked the vehicle and fled east on Martin Way and eventually onto I-5 northbound.

He was pursued to the area of Exit 120 in Lakewood at speeds of 100+ mph but Deputies and officers from assisting agencies eventually lost sight of the vehicle. They requested assistance from the WSP plane, Smokey, and King County’s Guardian One helicopter, but both were unable to fly.

A few hours later, officers in Tacoma got in a pursuit with the vehicle and the suspect was apprehended, according to a post on the Thurston County Sheriff Facebook page.

The suspect was booked into the Thurston County Jail on multiple charges of armed robbery, armed burglary, motor vehicle theft, possession of a stolen firearm, eluding a police vehicle, and several other charges.

Lacey Police officers are noting an increase in criminal activity at the Super 8 Hotel on College St SE. Six arrests have been made at the location in the last week, including three last Saturday.

Saturday, January 29 at approximately 5:30 pm, officers contacted a suspicious vehicle in the parking lot of the hotel. When they approached the vehicle, they immediately noticed a large digital weighing scale on the dashboard, tinfoil on the drivers and passenger side floorboards, syringes in the passenger door, and a cellophane bag on the center console that appeared to contain a white powder residue.

The vehicle was occupied by two males and a female. One of the males gave the officers a driver’s license that wasn’t his and the other gave a false name. Once their true identities were discovered, officers confirmed both had felony warrants for their arrest and were taken into custody. One had to be transported to St. Peter’s Hospital for medical clearance, as he had swallowed narcotics.

The female was removed from the vehicle and detained while officers continued their investigation, though she was not placed in handcuffs due to new law requirements. She had a large crown royal bag hanging from her neck which contained a large amount of cash.

She gave consent for the officers to search the vehicle, and they located a large handbag that contained female products and a nylon case. Inside the nylon case, officers found large quantities of methamphetamine, heroin, and cocaine. The female suspect was then placed under arrest for possession with intent to deliver.

Officers seized $4,522.72 in US currency in all denominations, as well as approximately 23 grams of cocaine, 69.3 grams of crystal methamphetamine, and 85 grams of heroin. The female suspect was booked into the Thurston County Jail and is currently being held on $15,000 bail.

The two male suspects who had felony warrants for their arrest were booked into Nisqually Jail. One was released Friday and one is still in custody.

Earlier on Saturday, another man had been taken into custody on a felony warrant at the hotel. The next day, Sunday, yet another suspect was arrested after officers confirmed he had a felony warrant. (For those keeping track, that’s five arrests at the hotel in two days). Then, on Tuesday, another arrest was made when officers found a suspect to be in possession of a stolen vehicle.

Officers noted in their report on the narcotics arrest – “The Lacey Police Department has been experiencing a significant increase in criminal activity such as narcotic use and sales, overdoses, auto thefts and multiple stolen vehicle recoveries at this location.”

An off-duty Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested at his home last week on suspicion of domestic violence assault and malicious mischief after a fight with his girlfriend, according to case records obtained from the Tumwater Police Department.

Tumwater Police responded to the incident around 11:00 pm on Thursday, January 27th. The deputy’s girlfriend had fled their home in her vehicle and called 911. Officers met and interviewed her at a nearby convenience store.

The officer’s investigation led them to develop probable cause to arrest the deputy for assault and malicious mischief. He is accused of hitting the victim in the face with an open hand and throwing an object at the back of her car, shattering the window.

Tumwater officers were going to wait until supervisors from Thurston County Sheriff’s Office arrived at the home to contact the deputy, but he came outside and began to get in his vehicle, so officers detained him.

Supervisors from the Sheriff’s Office arrived shortly after he was taken into custody and took possession of his duty weapon, badge, commission card, and patrol vehicle, according to the report.

With the suspect’s consent, the Tumwater Police Department also took custody of his seven personally-owned firearms for safekeeping.

The suspect was transported to the Nisqually Jail where he was booked on suspicion of Assault 4th Degree – Domestic Violence and Malicious Mischief 3rd Degree – Domestic Violence. Jail records show he was released the following day on personal recognizance.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office has not released a statement in regards to the deputy’s arrest.

Two adults in their 40s and a 3-year-old child were killed when their house caught fire in the Rainier area early Saturday morning.

Firefighters from the Southeast Thurston Regional Fire Authority were dispatched to the scene at the 16100 block of Village Dr SE, off of Vail Cutoff Rd SE, at approximately 1:20 am. Neighbors called 911 and reported that the house was on fire, with flames visible from nearly every window and door, according to scanner traffic.

Firefighters arrived to find the single-wide mobile home fully engulfed. A female in her 20s was able to escape the blaze, and she told firefighters that there were three people still inside.

Despite rescue efforts, a couple in their late 40s and their 3-year-old granddaughter were killed in the fire, according to a release from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.

Detectives from the Sheriff’s Office and fire investigators will be working to determine the cause and origin of the fire.

Two Chehalis Tribal Police officers were injured Friday night while responding to assist a family in evacuating their home due to flooding in Oakville. One of the officers was arilifted to Harborview Medical Center.

According to the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office, a family called 911 at approximately 10:22 pm requesting assistance in evacuating their residence on Pearson Rd in Oakville.

The family was loaded onto a rescue boat near their home by Grays Harbor deputies, then transported a short distance by vehicle where they were to meet a Chehalis Tribal Police air boat which was going to transport them further east to a temporary shelter.

At approximately 12:15 am, the two Chehalis Tribal officers responding in the air boat were injured when the boat struck a tree. The collision occurred on Hwy 12 just west of Anderson Rd SW between Rochester and Oakville.

One officer received serious head injuries and he was transported to Summit Pacific Hospital in Elma and then airlifted to Harborview Medical Center. He is reported to be in stable condition. Another officer, who was ejected from the boat, was transported to Summit Pacific Hospital where he was treated and released.

The exact cause of the collision is not known at this time, but further investigation will occur, according to the Grays Harbor County Sheriff’s Office.

Olympia Police officers took two suspects into custody on Friday evening after they allegedly robbed the Haggen Northwest Fresh grocery store in the 1300 block of Cooper Point Rd SW.

Officers responded around to the store at 8:40 pm Friday. According to scanner traffic, the two suspects, a male and a female, stole cleaning supplies, flowers, and sponges. They then assaulted loss prevention staff with pepper spray and fled the scene. The male was reportedly on foot and the female on a bicycle.

Officers had both detained within minutes of dispatch, on Cooper Point Rd near the now-vacant Pier 1 Imports store. Both suspects have been booked into the Thurston County Jail on suspicion of Robbery in the 2nd Degree.

• On Monday, November 22nd, Olympia Police responded to an auto theft that occurred between 8:37 am and 8:49 am at a residence in the 2500 block of Meagan Ct SE, off of Boulevard Rd. A 2003 Ford F350 pickup had been stolen while a resident was inside, in the shower. The vehicle was recovered around 1:30 pm that day on Rich Rd SE near Rich Loop SE in a gravel lot. The ignition to the vehicle had been punched and several items had been stolen from it.

• On Monday, November 22nd at 12:40 pm, Thurston County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched to take a report of a stolen vehicle in the 5500 block of Daycrest St SE. The reporting party advised deputies that she met a mechanic at a casino several weeks prior, and she gave her vehicle to him for repairs. It had now been at least two weeks and she could not reach the mechanic. Seattle Police recovered the vehicle in the early hours of Tuesday, November 23rd and it was returned to the owner.

• At 1:15 pm on Monday, November 22nd, TCSO deputies took a report of a stolen vehicle from the area of the Rock Candy Mountain entrance to Capitol Forest. The reporting party had parked his Ford F150 there Sunday night, and since he was experiencing mechanical issues, waited until daylight to retrieve the vehicle. When he returned the next day, his vehicle was gone. To our knowledge it has not been recovered.

• On Tuesday, November 23rd, Olympia Police responded to an auto theft that occurred between 11:00 pm Monday and 7:00 am Tuesday morning. A 1991 Honda Civic was stolen overnight from the Capitol Crossing Apartments in the 1100 block of 13th Ave SE. Olympia officers located the vehicle Thursday, parked unoccupied in the 1700 block of Wheeler Ave SE.

• At 3:30 pm on on Monday, November 22nd, TCSO deputies were dispatched to an auto theft at a residence in the 21600 block of Old Hwy 99 SW. The vehicle owner was an acquaintance of the suspect, and he had been letting the suspect stay with him since he was transient with nowhere else to go. While everyone else was gone from the house, the suspect took the keys from the owner’s bedroom, stole the car, removed the stereo, and abandoned the car on Old Hwy 9 near Maple Lane School. He then went and began prowling vehicles less than two blocks away on Tea St, where he was taken into custody. The suspect was booked for theft of a motor vehicle and vehicle prowling.

• On Tuesday, November 23rd, TCSO deputies took a report of a stolen 2002 Ford F250, which was stolen overnight from the Nisqually Towing yard in the 10300 block of Martin Way E. Washington State Patrol troopers had located the vehicle abandoned on I-5 northbound near Mounts Rd and called Nisqually to tow it, which is when they discovered it had been stolen from their lot.

• On Tuesday, November 23rd, Olympia Police responded to an auto theft that had occurred at an unknown time from the Public Storage in the 1600 block of Black Lake Blvd SW. The reporting party got a call from Public Storage advising that his 2004 white Fleetwood pop-up camper was gone. It had apparently been towed away by another vehicle.

• At 11:00 pm on Tuesday, November 23rd, Olympia Police responded to an auto theft that had just occurred at the Arco AM/PM gas station at 402 Sleater Kinney Rd SE. The reporting party had left his vehicle sitting at the gas pumps with the keys inside. There was also a handgun in the vehicle. Security video showed a heavy-set white male jumping into the vehicle and taking off, while the owner was chasing the car on foot. On Wednesday, November 24th around 9:00 pm, the vehicle owner called 911 to advise that they had located their stolen vehicle in the parking lot of St. Peter’s Hospital and it was occupied. When officers approached, the the driver backed the vehicle out of its stall, drove a few feet and then bailed on foot. A K9 track led officers to a deep swamp area in the area of Mary Elder Rd. Despite the officer’s best efforts the suspect could not be located. The gun that was in the vehicle when stolen was not in the vehicle when recovered.

• At 9:38 am on Wednesday, November 24th, Lacey Police were dispatched to multiple auto thefts that had occurred overnight at Lacey Express Storage U-haul dealer, 5200 block of Lacey Blvd SE. Sometime overnight, suspects had stolen a 2021 GMC Box Van, a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado, and a 2014 grey flatbed trailer. All vehicles had the standard U-haul markings. To our knowledge, none of these vehicles have been recovered.

• Around 2:30 pm on Wednesday, November 24th, TCSO Deputies responded to the area of Prairie Elementary School in Yelm for an auto recovery. The vehicle was reported stolen in Pierce County, and the owner had found the vehicle parked about 50 yards into a field. All four tires had been removed from the vehicle. The owner made plans to return with new tires so he could recover the vehicle himself, but when he arrived back the next day he discovered it had been stolen again. To our knowledge it has not been recovered.

• At 6:40 pm on Wednesday, November 24th, Olympia Police were dispatched to a restaurant in the 1600 block of Cooper Point Rd SW. The calling party said his 1997 Honda Accord had been stolen in the last hour while he was inside the restaurant. There was a fresh pile of broken glass in the stall where the vehicle was parked. At 2:52 am on November 25th, a security officer at Courtside Apartments called to report a suspicious stripped vehicle near the “L” building. It was identified as this stolen Honda.

• At 6:41 pm on Wednesday, November 24th, TCSO Deputies were dispatched to the 16500 block of Sargent Rd SW for a suspicious vehicle. A Honda Civic was unoccupied and and halfway in a ditch. The reporting party saw a post on Facebook indicating the vehicle had been stolen. Deputies confirmed that the vehicle had been stolen earlier that day from west Olympia, and had eluded Tumwater officers who had tried to stop it a short time after it was stolen. The ignition was punched and the stereo removed. Several items including spare tires and tool bags were stolen from the vehicle. A cell phone not belonging to the owner was located in the vehicle, and it opened to a man’s Facebook Messenger account. That subject is currently listed as a person of interest in the case.

• On Thursday, November 25th at 10:00 am, Olympia Police responded to the Olympia Inn on Capitol Way S for an auto theft that occurred within the last 30 minutes. The victim knew who had stolen his vehicle and camera footage confirmed that. At 3:00 pm the same day, the victim located his vehicle parked at a nearby apartment complex. Officers referred charges to the prosecutor’s office for theft of a motor vehicle on the female suspect who could not be located and arrested.

• On Thursday, November 25th around 10:30 pm, TCSO Deputies responded to a residence in the 4300 block of Cooper Point Rd NW for an auto theft that just occurred. While the victim was inside finishing up Thanksgiving dinner, the suspect stole their 2004 Ford Explorer from the driveway and left behind a U-haul pickup truck, which had been stolen earlier that day in Federal Way. Not more than an hour later, a 911 call came in for a prowler at a beachfront residence in the 3300 block of French Loop NW. This caller advised a man was in her backyard and there was a white Ford Explorer in their driveway that didn’t belong. Deputies arrived and detained the suspect. While they were searching him and recovering his items, he decided to take off running towards the water. Deputies believe he was attempting to jump into the water while handcuffed. A deputy tackled him and the male yelled out “Woo, nice hit! You’re like an NFL linebacker!” according to the report. He was booked into county jail for Theft of Motor Vehicle, Possession of Stolen Vehicle and Resisting Arrest.

• At 10:00 am on Friday, November 26th, Olympia Police took a report of a stolen vehicle in the 3600 block of Royal St SE. The victim reported that her 2013 Dodge Journey was stolen overnight. Camera footage showed the vehicle being stolen around 1:30 am. The vehicle had been left unlocked with the keys inside.

• At 10:50 am on Friday, November 26th, Lacey Police responded to Safeway in the 1200 block of Marvin Rd NE. An employee’s 2004 Ford F250 was stolen while he was at work, sometime between 6:00 am and 10:50 am. To our knowledge, this vehicle has not been recovered.

• At 11:15 am on Friday, November 26th, Lacey Police were dispatched to an auto theft at Midas in the 3900 block of Pacific Ave SE. The reporting party had dropped her car off for repairs the night before. The keys had apparently been fished out of the drop box during the night and the 2002 Saturn L200 had been stolen. On Saturday, November 27th at approximately 11:50 pm an Olympia Police officer was conducting a routine business check at Safeway, 4200 block of Martin Way E, and ran the vehicle’s plate which returned as stolen. A 35-year old man who was in the driver’s seat was arrested. The keys were located on the vehicle’s floorboard. The arresting officer was familiar with the suspect, noting “multiple contacts in the past for crimes related to vehicle prowling, thefts and narcotics”. The suspect was recently arrested by Lacey Police for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle on October 4, 2021, and by Olympia Police for a felony DOC warrant on November 10, 2021. Nisqually Jail records show that he was released on November 23rd, just three days before this vehicle was reported stolen.

• At 9:49 pm on Friday, November 26th, Olympia Police took a report of a stolen 2000 Honda Civic from the Bellweather Apartments on Fones Rd SE. The reporting party had left town on Wednesday 11/24 and when he returned on 11/26 the vehicle was gone. To our knowledge, the vehicle has not been recovered.

• On Saturday, November 27th at 11:37 am, Lacey Police responded to an auto theft that just occurred at an apartment complex in the 8500 block of Litt Dr SE. The vehicle owner could track the 2021 Honda Accord via an app on her phone. Officers first located the vehicle at Denny’s on Martin Way, but when they attempted contact it sped off and got on I-5 northbound. Later that afternoon, Pierce County Sheriff’s deputies recovered the vehicle at 11900 block of 122nd Ave E in Puyallup. The vehicle was located under a tarp in a backyard. Deputies could not prove that the owners of the home stole the vehicle, as they claimed they had been sleeping all day and knew nothing about it.

• At approximately 2:30 pm on Saturday, November 27th, TCSO Deputies were dispatched to an auto theft in the 18100 block of Huntington St SW. The reporting party said he had hit a deer the previous night, disabling his vehicle. He pulled off the road and planned to return the next day to recover the vehicle with a tow truck. When he arrived to do so, the vehicle was gone. Later Saturday, a hunter located the vehicle at the end of a dirt road near Waddell Creek Rd SW and Sherman Valley Rd SW. The hunter found the owner’s phone number on some paperwork in the car and called him. Both license plates had been stolen from the vehicle.

• On Saturday, November 27th at 5:56 pm, Lacey Police responded to the Lucky Seven Food Mart in the 4000 block of Pacific Ave SE for an auto theft that just occurred. The reporting party’s 2012 Chevrolet Sonic was stolen while she was inside the store. The keys were left in the ignition. To our knowledge, the vehicle has not been recovered.

• At 10:38 pm on Saturday, November 27th Olympia Police responded to the Bellweather Apartments on Fones Rd SE for an auto theft that just occurred. The reporting party is a pizza delivery driver and his blue 1989 Honda Civic was stolen while he was making a delivery. The car still had the Pizza Hut topper on it, but that is easily removable. To our knowledge, the vehicle has not been recovered.

• On Sunday, November 28th, Tumwater Police took a report of a stolen vehicle from the Montair Apartments. The reporting party said her boyfriend had borrowed her vehicle several days ago to visit a friend in Onalaska but had not returned. When he did return, he didn’t bring the vehicle back and would only tell her that “it’s gone!”. The victim drove to the friend’s house in Onalaska to check for the vehicle and it was not there. Lewis County deputies ended up recovering the vehicle at the residence in Onalaska and arresting the suspect for Taking Motor Vehicle without Permission – Domestic Violence.

Officials with the Washington State Department of Corrections are searching for a 32-year-old inmate who escaped the Cedar Creek Corrections Center in southwest Thurston County early Saturday morning.

Garrett Young, 32, was found to be missing during routine checks at 2:00 am Saturday, according to a news release from DOC. It appears he escaped by digging under a fence.

Units with Department of Corrections, Washington State Patrol, and the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office are assisting with the search. Young was last seen wearing tan khaki pants, a red sweatshirt, and a tan jacket. He is 6’3″ tall, 200 pounds with blonde hair and blue eyes.

Young was incarcerated at Cedar Creek following convictions in Skagit County of possession of a stolen vehicle and eluding a police vehicle.

Anyone who sees him should call 911 immediately and not approach him.