Olympia police arrest man accused of assaulting downtown ATM customer Wednesday
Olympia police arrested a 34-year-old man Wednesday who’s accused of assaulting another man at a downtown ATM.
The incident occurred around 5 p.m. Wednesday at a bank on the 400 block of Capitol Way South, according to court records. The victim reportedly suffered a hand injury with heavy bleeding after he refused to give money to the suspect.
Police followed the suspect to an apartment on the 500 block of Washington Street Southeast. After a standoff, officers reportedly arrested him on suspicion of second-degree assault while armed with a deadly weapon.
Court records indicate the suspect has previously been convicted of a variety of crimes in Olympia between 2010 and 2017, including drinking in public, criminal trespass, theft and more.
A probable cause statement describes the investigation into the incident from the perspective of law enforcement.
An officer responded to the alleged assault at 5:17 p.m. and quickly observed the suspect acting erratically from a distance. The statement indicates the man yelled into the air and elbowed a parking meter while waving an item similar to a “black metal banding wire.”
The man eventually entered an apartment building on Washington Street, according to the statement. Five other officers and a sergeant reportedly arrived on scene, identified the suspect and set up a perimeter at the building.
The officer who first responded to the scene then contacted the alleged victim and a witness who had called 911.
The alleged victim told the officer he lived and worked locally. He said he stopped at the ATM to make a withdrawal while his wife attended a downtown hair appointment, according to the statement.
The suspect allegedly approached the man and repeatedly asked him for money. The statement says the man declined several times, logged out of his transaction and asked the suspect to leave.
This allegedly angered the suspect who then tried to punch the man with what the victim believed were brass knuckles. The man reportedly blocked the punch with his left hand, but the impact left a deep cut.
The man further alleged the suspect started making “Kung-Fu” moves as he retreated to his car, the statement says.
The Olympia Fire Department was dispatched to help bandage the man’s hand, but the statement says he eventually decided to get stitches on his own.
At the scene, the officer reportedly observed numerous drops of blood in the parking lot and a softball-sized puddle of blood next to the man’s vehicle.
The officer contacted the witness who initially reported the alleged assault. He reportedly said the suspect was the only other person involved in the incident.
Meanwhile, at the apartment building, officers attempted to contact the suspect at his unit but he did not let them in. The statement says the suspect briefly opened and closed his door on multiple occasions.
At one point, he allegedly tossed out a “black metal decorative bookshelf bracket with metal filigree” into the hallway, according to the statement. Police believe this may have been the weapon he allegedly used at the ATM.
Officers obtained a search warrant and a key to the suspect’s unit from a maintenance employee. After making several advisements, the statement says they unlocked the door at about 7 p.m.
They reportedly found the suspect sitting on his bed, smoking marijuana.
