Grocery worker allegedly assaults 65-year-old man in Olympia parking lot
A grocery store employee allegedly assaulted a 65-year-old Lacey man at a shopping center in east Olympia Wednesday night.
The incident occurred at about 10 p.m. in the 4200 block of Martin Way East, according to a probable cause statement filed in Thurston County Superior Court.
Officers arrested a 47-year-old Olympia man on suspicion of two crimes: second-degree assault with a weapon and fourth-degree assault, per the county jail log. The statement identifies the man as an employee of a nearby grocery store. Witnesses alleged the man crashed his scooter into items belonging to the 65-year-old man in a parking lot and subsequently beat him with a 3-foot-long piece of wood, according to the statement.
Olympia firefighters treated the 65-year-old for injuries at the scene and offered to take him to a hospital, but he declined transport, Olympia police Lt. Paul Lower told The Olympian Thursday.
Judge Allyson Zipp found probable cause for second-degree assault, felony harassment - threat to kill and fourth degree assault Thursday afternoon. She set bail at $25,000.
The 47-year-old has not yet been charged with a crime as of Thursday, per court records. The Prosecuting Attorney’s Office has until 5 p.m. Monday to file charges or the man’s bail and conditions of release will expire.
The probable cause statement describes the incident from the perspective of law enforcement. Prosecutors file these statements with courts to help judges find probable cause for alleged crimes and set conditions of release.
The following is a summary of that statement:
Multiple people initially called 911 reporting a disturbance involving six individuals, a bat and a piece of wood with nails in it. When officers arrived, they found the 65-year-old in the road in “agony” with multiple lacerations, according to the statement.
Several people immediately pointed out the suspected assailant to the officer, who then alerted other officers in the area. At the time, the suspect was allegedly fleeing the scene on a scooter.
The suspect allegedly crashed his scooter as officers contacted him, per the statement. He was then detained and evaluated by Olympia Fire Department personnel.
While that happened, the officer who was with the 65-year-old asked him what had happened. The 65-year-old said he had numerous belongings scattered in front of his RV as he was reorganizing it.
The 65-year-old alleged the suspect rode a scooter at about 30 miles per hour on the sidewalk and crashed into his belongings, per the statement.
The suspect allegedly became “agitated” and began asking who owned the items on the ground. The 65-year-old identified himself as the owner, and an argument ensued.
“So you’re the (expletive) that wants to die?” the suspect allegedly told the 65-year-old.
A bystander attempted to defuse the situation, but the suspect allegedly pushed her away, according to the statement. The suspect then allegedly picked up a piece of wood with nails in it and began swinging it at the 65-year-old.
The 65-year-old reportedly armed himself with a walking stick and used his left arm to protect his face and head.
The 65-year-old suffered two surface-level lacerations to his left forearm that were actively bleeding as well as an abrasion to the back of his head, the officer reportedly observed.
The officer attempted to help the 65-year-old stand up, but the man retracted his left hand, saying he believed it was broken. He added that he never had a chance to use his walking stick in self-defense.
A bystander held the piece of wood at the scene. The bystander told the officer he disarmed the suspected assailant and alleged that the suspect punched him in the jaw with a right-handed upper cut, according to the statement.
The officer directed the bystander to drop the piece of wood. Upon further inspection, the officer noted it was covered in blood and had three exposed nails sticking out approximately 1 inch through the wood.
Another bystander corroborated what happened and said the 65-year-old did not do anything to provoke being attacked.
The officer approached the detained suspect and noticed his hands, face and clothing were covered with blood. When informed about the accusations, the statement says the suspect allegedly denied involvement in the assault.
He allegedly stated he was covered in blood because he cut his hand in the grocery store deli and then wrecked his scooter when officers contacted him.
