Accounts differ on encounter of photographer, detective

By Jeremy Pawloski | The Olympian • Published June 10, 2008

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LACEY – A Lacey police detective reported he arrested Olympian photographer Tony Overman at a fire scene Friday after Overman "hit me in the nose with his forehead," during a verbal confrontation as Overman stood behind the police tape meant to separate the public from firefighters.

But four Lacey police officers who were at the scene, including Sgt. Terrence Brimmer, make no mention in their reports of seeing the alleged physical contact between Overman and Miller.

Police accounts

Police reports were provided to The Olympian on Monday regarding the confrontation between detective David Miller and Overman that started outside of a burning duplex on 22nd Avenue. Overman left a restricted area after a police request and Miller told another officer that "if Overman came into the taped area again, he was to be arrested," police reports state.

"Overman, who was about 15 to 20 feet away turned and began to walk toward me," Miller's written report states. "He had an angry look on his face he was walking quickly toward me. He was yelling 'what did you say?' I was standing inside the taped area and Overman walked right up to me. He appeared to be very upset. He yelled again, 'What did you say?' I responded, 'If you cross the taped area again you will be arrested.' Overman got inches from my face and yelled, 'I left didn't I.' Overman then hit me in the nose with his forehead."

The other side

Overman's account differs.

Overman said that after he approached — but stood outside — the police tape, he stopped to speak to Miller and stood his ground.

Overman said that as he stood outside of the tape, Miller continued to approach him, then "put his face literally half an inch from my face. I didn't move. He instigated the contact. He touched his nose to my nose."

"When our noses touched, very, very softly, at that point he stopped and slammed me in the chest with two hands, really, really hard," Overman said.

Overman, 45, who has worked as a photojournalist for 27 years, including a six-week stint taking photos in Iraq alongside a Stryker brigade, said the notion that he would assault an officer or resist arrest is ludicrous. Miller's written statement alleges that Overman did not comply with his commands as he tried to arrest Overman and "during this struggle I stated to Overman several times to stop resisting."