Arrests made in connection with Evergreen campus riot

By Jeremy Pawloski | The Olympian • Published March 05, 2008

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OLYMPIA - The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office arrested five people - three males and two women - Wednesday morning in connection with the destruction of sheriff’s patrol cars during a riot outside a hip-hop concert at The Evergreen State College Feb. 15.

Photo gallery: 5 Arrested in Evergreen Riot Case

Four of the five individuals to be arrested in connection with the behavior of concertgoers at the riot are Evergreen students, said Thurston County Chief Criminal Deputy James Chamberlain. The two women who were arrested are members of the 2007 Evergreen women’s soccer team, according to Evergreen’s Web site.

One of the males who was arrested is a member of Evergreen’s club baseball team.

All were arrested on felony warrants, according to Chamberlain.

One of the male arrestees was arrested at campus housing at around 7 a.m. Wednesday. The rest were arrested off-campus.

Jake Silberman, 19, of Bush St. Northwest in Olympia, was arrested on suspicion of riot while armed with a deadly weapon and first-degree malicious mischief. Silberman is listed as a student at Evergreen. He is a member of Evergreen’s club baseball team, according to the team's Web site.

Peter Sloan, 18, of Schinke Road Northeast in Olympia, was arrested on suspicion of riot and first-degree malicious mischief. He is not an Evergreen student.

Chase Hill, 23, of Indian Pipe Loop, Northwest in Olympia was arrested on suspicion of second-degree theft. He is listed as an Evergreen student.

Monica Ragan, 18, of 9th Avenue Northwest in Olympia, was arrested on suspicion of riot and first-degree malicious mischief. She is listed as an Evergreen student.

Nina Hinton, 19, of Mt. Vernon, Wash., was arrested on suspicion of riot and first-degree malicious mischief. She is listed as an Evergreen student.

Evergreen’s Web site lists Ragan and Hinton as members of Evergreen’s women’s soccer team.

A total of four sheriff’s patrol cars were damaged during the riots, including one that was flipped over and completely destroyed.

Sheriff’s detectives are still investigating. Anyone with information about the riots can call the sheriff’s office at 786-5500, or Crime Stoppers at 360-493-2222.

Thurston County Sheriff Dan Kimball said of Wednesday morning’s arrests, “On the morning of February 15, mob rule took over on the campus of the Evergreen State College. This morning you began to see the rule of law take back over.”

Kimball said the arrests were made by identifying students on video footage of the riots that was seized by Evergreen police and handed over to Thurston County detectives. Detectives also used other investigatory techniques to develop probable cause for arrests, Kimball said.

First-degree malicious mischief is a class B felony, punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a $20,000 fine. Riot is a class C felony when a committed while in possession of a deadly weapon. Class C felonies are punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Second-degree theft also is a class C felony, punishable by up to 5 years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

Check back at www.theolympian.com for updates.