Body camera video shows Thurston County deputy shooting man near Lacey July 4
Newly released body camera footage shows how a Thurston County deputy shot a man at his home on July 4.
The Sheriff’s Office released an excerpt of the footage on Facebook and two longer recordings on YouTube. The video shows two deputies responding to what they believed to be a domestic violence call before 4 p.m. July 4 on the 7500 block of 14th Avenue Northeast near Lacey.
Parts of the video are blurred, and audio intermittently cuts out. The Sheriff’s Office says certain elements of the video have been redacted according to state law.
In the video, the deputies attempt to contact Geoffrey Ian Gilley, 35, from outside the home. One of the deputies, identified as Deputy Graves in the video, fires a handgun three times after telling the man to “drop it” twice. Deputies allege the shooting occurred after the man produced a handgun.
A handgun can be seen on the ground just outside the front door in the video. Investigators later determined Gilley was experiencing a mental health crisis and the handgun he allegedly produced was a “realistic-looking” airsoft gun, according to court records.
The Sheriff’s Office reported that the shooting caused “minor injuries” to Gilley, and he was treated at Providence St. Peter Hospital. Court records say a bullet may have grazed his torso. In the video, deputies can be seen attempting to render first aid.
The Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office was tasked to lead the investigation into the incident as part of the Region 3 Critical Incident Team.
The team completed their investigation by Aug. 14 and shared their findings with the Grays Harbor County and Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Offices as well as the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, according to the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office.
The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office will review the full investigation report and reach a charging decision later this year, spokesperson Tara Tsehlana told The Olympian.
Prosecutors charged Gilley with two counts of third-degree assault against law enforcement on July 5, according to court records. Deputies initially booked Gilley into the county jail on two counts of second-degree assault.
Judge Carol Murphy ordered Gilley to be released on his personal recognizance on July 5 on the condition he be evaluated by Washington State Designated Crisis Responders, The Olympian previously reported.
Gilley was released July 6 after the crisis responders determined he was “not an immediate risk” to himself or others and there was no legal reason to detain him, according to the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Office.
Gilley has a known criminal history that dates back to 2006, most of which includes lower-level crimes that were prosecuted in Thurston County District Court and some in Olympia Municipal Court, according to court records.
However, he was accused of fourth-degree domestic violence in two Thurston County Superior Court cases, one in 2010 and another in 2017.
This story was originally published September 6, 2023 at 11:02 AM.
