Incident at local car dealership in Olympia triggers large law enforcement response

An Olympia man thought to be in his 30s was booked into the Thurston County Jail on Saturday after he apparently broke a window at a local car dealership on Pacific Avenue. But it was the message the man allegedly wrote on the building that led to a larger police response, a spokesman for the Olympia Police Department said Sunday.

Sometime between 7:15 and 7:30 a.m. Saturday, dealership employees arrived at work to find a hole in a large window, leading them to call police. After police arrived, they discovered the suspect had written his name on the building, followed by “was killed by police,” Lt. Paul Lower said.

Concerned that the man might still be on site and looking for a confrontation with police, the building was cleared and other law enforcement notified. Olympia police received assistance from Lacey police, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office and its K-9. Ultimately, the suspect was not found at that location, Lower said.

Later in the day, however, police received a call from staff at a hotel in the area of Martin Way and College Street, saying they had an “unwanted person” on their premises. Police responded to learn that it was the same suspect in the car dealership incident. He was booked into jail on suspicion of second-degree malicious mischief.

Lower also said that police had received an “unwanted person” call at 1 a.m. and again at 2 a.m. Saturday from staff at Drexel House in Olympia. It turned out to be the same man, he said.

This story was originally published February 5, 2017 at 12:27 PM with the headline "Incident at local car dealership in Olympia triggers large law enforcement response."