Man tried to set court on fire using WD-40, Thurston County records allege
A 40-year-old man who was arrested over the weekend and accused of damaging Thurston County Family & Juvenile Court told deputies he was “victimized by the system,” court records released Tuesday show.
About 9:40 a.m. Sunday, the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office responded to a commercial panic alarm in the 2800 block of 32nd Avenue Southwest.
Once there, they found the front door smashed in, according to the court records.
A probable cause statement that prosecutors filed in Thurston County Superior Court gives this account of what happened:
Thinking that perhaps the burglary was still in progress, the responding sergeant called for back up and then asked if anyone was inside.
The suspect responded and then stepped into view.
During negotiations, the suspect began to “rant about having been victimized by the system,” and that he had a court date, but no one was there, the statement said.
The sergeant explained it was the weekend, and then asked if it was a good idea to break in.
The man allegedly replied that “it was his building because he is a citizen.”
The sergeant then stepped into the lobby to continue his conversation with the suspect. As he did, he noticed that a vending machine had been smashed, a metal detector had been thrown across the lobby and a rock had been used to smash-in the door.
The sergeant, too, noticed that the lubricant WD-40 had been sprayed on counter surfaces, a printer and the floor. A burned pile of paper also was found nearby, suggesting that the man tried to set the lubricant on fire, court records allege.
The suspect allegedly said there was a conspiracy between the sheriff’s office and court to “get him.”
The sergeant explained he was under arrest. After a verbal disagreement, the man turned around and placed his hands behind his back, according to the court records.
The man was arrested on suspicion of first-degree malicious mischief, first-degree attempted arson and second-degree burglary, court records show. He has not yet been charged.
He’s expected to have his initial court appearance this afternoon.
