Washington State Patrol report says suspect intentionally struck trooper, fled scene

A man accused of hitting a Washington State Patrol trooper with his truck, fatally wounding him Tuesday, is being held in the Lewis County Jail on $5 million bail pending formal charges.

A Washington State Patrol report released Wednesday requests felony charges of assault, hit and run resulting in a death and felony eluding for William D. Thompson, 39, of Olympia, who is accused of killing trooper Justin Schaffer, 28, Tuesday in Chehalis.

The report also alleges that the suspect intentionally drove in the direction of Schaffer and a second trooper, who was hit by debris from his patrol car after it was struck.

On Tuesday, Lewis County Sheriff Rob Snaza said Thompson faces a charge of vehicular homicide.

According to the report, deputies with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office located Thompson’s vehicle, a Ford F-150 truck, on Tuesday at approximately 2:40 p.m. He was accused in a shoplifting incident a day earlier in which he allegedly brandished a taser at a store clerk.

Thompson also allegedly attempted to hit the store clerk with his vehicle during the incident on Monday, according to the report.

On Tuesday, deputies attempted to stop Thompson’s vehicle in Thurston County, but according to the report, he failed to stop and accelerated away, which gave way to the pursuit south on Interstate 5 into Lewis County.

Thompson was reportedly driving more than 100 miles per hour, the report states, using all lanes and the shoulder of the freeway in an attempt to evade the deputies.

In an effort to stop the pursuit, deputies requested assistance from the Washington State Patrol to deploy spike strips.

Four members of the Washington State Patrol, including Schaffer, were in the area deploying spike strips.

Due to the heavy police presence on I-5, traffic began to slow and Thompson allegedly attempted to avoid it by entering the paved right shoulder of the freeway at a speed of about 90 miles per hour.

When Thompson approached Schaffer’s location at about milepost 79, near the Chamber Way overpass, Schaffer was out of his car deploying the spike strips. According to a trooper who witnessed the incident, Thompson veered right, directly at Schaffer, and struck him.

Another trooper who was half a mile away from Schaffer’s location attempted to deploy spike strips, too. According to the report, the trooper was standing outside of his car on the right shoulder of I-5 when Thompson again allegedly drove straight toward him and his car.

Thompson collided with the patrol car and the trooper was hit by debris, and according to the report, had the trooper not been wearing a ballistic vest, the debris could have caused serious bodily injuries or possibly mortally wounded him.

Thompson’s truck tire went flat because of the spike strips, according to the report, and he continued for another 2 miles at speeds of 80 to 90 miles per hour until he attempted to get off the freeway on exit 77.

He lost control of the vehicle and skid through the intersection at the top of the off-ramp. The vehicle crashed into the guard rail and traffic light post and the vehicle was disabled, according to the report

Thompson allegedly failed to obey commands to exit the vehicle. After a standoff lasting approximately an hour and a half and several rounds of smoke canisters being fired into the vehicle, Thompson agreed to exit the vehicle and was taken into custody.

After Thompson was booked into Lewis County Jail, a drug recognition expert from Clark County reported several indicators that Thompson was under the influence of narcotics and/or intoxicants.

Thompson was scheduled to make his preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon, but formal charges have not yet been filed.

A Western State Hospital review is scheduled for next month.

This story was originally published March 26, 2020 at 8:08 AM.