Olympia police continue to investigate, review video of Saturday’s downtown clash
Olympia police detectives continue to investigate a clash between two groups over the weekend that resulted in one man being shot in the ankle, a spokesman for the department said Tuesday.
Detectives continue to review video in an effort to identify those involved in the incident, and then reach out to them for more information, Lt. Paul Lower said.
Two groups, the right-wing Proud Boys and a group allied with anti-fascists or Antifa, engaged with one another in different locations downtown Saturday afternoon, Chief Aaron Jelcick told The Olympian.
About 3 p.m. Saturday, the two groups clashed near the Intercity Transit Center on State Avenue, Jelcick said. Four or five gunshots were heard, and one of those bullets struck a man in the foot, he said.
The city issued a news release late Sunday about the incident that more specifically identified the injured area as the man’s ankle.
The man, who Portland-area media identified as Tusitala “Tiny” Toese, a regular organizer of Proud Boys events in the Portland area, was taken to Providence St. Peter Hospital in Olympia.
City officials, citing social media reports, also said they were aware of a woman who allegedly had been chased and assaulted by the Proud Boys. However, as of Tuesday morning, the police still hadn’t received a report from the woman, Lower said.
Jelcick said police are reviewing video footage which shows a person wearing dark clothing and a facial covering who also appears to be holding a hand gun.
“We are deeply disappointed and angry at these violations of our city’s hospitality and of our resident’s sense of peace and safety,” City Manager Jay Burney said in a statement issued over the weekend.
“Attacks on people in our community are absolutely unacceptable and will not be tolerated,” he said. “We will investigate, and the ones found responsible will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.
“I know the community shares my frustration with the behaviors, the violence and the ugliness that took place on our streets. It’s not what any of us want in our community,” Burney said. “Our work together to make Olympia a safe and welcoming place for all people is ongoing, and (Saturday’s) incident shows us just how much further we have to go to get there.”
The city asks that anyone with information about the shooting call South Sound Crime Stoppers at 800-222-8477 or police dispatch at 360-704-2740.
This story was originally published September 7, 2021 at 12:11 PM.
