Protesters heat up Olympia City Council meeting over transit center death

The death of a man during his arrest at the Olympia Transit Center this week has stirred up protesters who continue to call for more police oversight.

Details are still unfolding in the case involving a man who died in police custody Monday after he assaulted employees at the downtown bus station.

On Wednesday, Thurston County Coroner Gary Warnock identified the man as Jeffrey McGaugh, 44, of Olympia. Results of an autopsy were inconclusive, and the manner of McGaugh’s death is pending toxicology and microscopic studies. Warnock said further results will be available in six to eight weeks.

Warnock said McGaugh did not die as the result of lethal injuries consistent with having been beaten.

“There are no internal or external injuries consistent with that,” Warnock said.

One of the officers involved in the transit center arrest was Ryan Donald, who has been under intense scrutiny since May 21 when he shot two black men — Andre Thompson and Bryson Chaplin — after a shoplifting call in west Olympia. No charges were filed against Donald.

Late Tuesday, protesters responded to the transit center death by blocking Fourth Avenue in front of City Hall. Their rally began at Percival Landing with eight people.

Protesters then signed up for public comment at late Tuesday’s Olympia City Council meeting, where several scathing remarks were directed toward the police department and council.

Protest organizer Caro Gonzales blasted the city for not creating a police oversight committee despite ongoing requests for one. She criticized Officer Donald’s involvement in Monday’s arrest.

“It is exhausting coming in here and seeing another person dead when we told you in September that this officer was going to be involved in another police death,” Gonzales told the council before referencing Donald. “Regardless of whether or not this is something that he actively did, he was involved in it.”

In the middle of Gonzales’ comments, Mayor Cheryl Selby stopped the meeting and called for a 10-minute recess to restore order. The mayor had previously advised the audience to maintain civility and refrain from applauding during public comments.

“This needs to be a safe space. That’s my job up here,” Selby later told attendees.

The exchange between Selby and Gonzales was captured on video and posted on YouTube by a user named Franz Kilmer-Shoultz.

In September, Gonzales was among protesters who called for Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim’s resignation. At one point, protesters blocked the prosecutor’s office at the courthouse. In another demonstration, some protesters chained themselves to the fence at Tunheim’s house as they demanded he drop charges filed against Thompson and Chaplin.

Many of the same demonstrators spoke at Tuesday’s council meeting. One commenter, Olivia Hart, said she was proud of their efforts and scolded Selby for being disrespectful.

“How dare you look down on these people who take their time out and fill these seats here to be a part of this process,” Hart said.

Mayor Pro Tem Nathaniel Jones acknowledged the emotions that were expressed during public comment and told attendees that their opinions are valued.

“We’re in the middle of a tragic situation. We don’t know all the facts of the case,” Jones said. “There’s a range of emotions in this room.”

City Manager Steve Hall also addressed the incident at the transit center and said the Lacey Police Department is leading a multi-jurisdictional investigation into the man’s death. Hall expressed sympathy for the family of the man who died and urged witnesses to come forward.

“This is a terrible tragedy for everyone involved,” he said, noting a lack of information at this time. “We want to understand why this gentleman unexpectedly died.”

This story was originally published March 1, 2016 at 11:20 PM with the headline "Protesters heat up Olympia City Council meeting over transit center death."