Olympia burglary could be linked to officer-involved shooting

A recent burglary at Bayview Thriftway in Olympia appears to be related to the April 8 non-injury, officer-involved shooting near Mud Bay, authorities say.

“We believe there is some connection,” said chief deputy Ryan Spurling with Mason County Sheriff’s Department, which is leading a multi-agency investigation into the case involving the Thurston County Sheriff’s deputy who fired at a suspect during a traffic stop. “…And we’re putting all of those pieces together as part of the investigation.”

A worker at the grocery store reported the break-in at about 3:50 a.m. April 8.

“It looks like somebody used a pry bar to break into the rear door into the market,” said Olympia Police Lt. Paul Lower. “…They were able to break into an office inside and steal a rather small safe.”

He said they also found a shopping cart that had been filled with merchandise, including cigarettes and alcohol.

“They had it staged by the back door, but they never took it,” Lower said.

Olympia Police were later informed that that Thurston County Sheriff’s Office seized a vehicle that contained Bayview’s safe shortly after the burglary was reported, Lower said.

The burglary remains an open case and is under investigation, Lower said. Some items that were left at the scene, including a pair of gloves, are being processed for DNA evidence, he said.

Meanwhile, Thurston County Deputy Per Perez remains on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an investigation that’s being conducted by the Regional Critical Incident Team into the traffic stop, according to Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman Sgt. Carla Carter.

According to court documents, Perez said he attempted to pull a vehicle over for speeding, and ended up blocking it with his car in a driveway in the 7000 block of Old Highway 410. When the deputy exited his vehicle to make an arrest, the suspect drove toward him, he said. The deputy fired his gun at the vehicle, but nobody was injured.

The driver, Michael Calder, 34, of Shelton, is set to be arraigned on Tuesday. He appeared in Thurston County Superior Court on second-degree assault, attempt to elude a police vehicle, and possession of a stolen vehicle. Bail was set for $40,000.

This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 3:03 PM with the headline "Olympia burglary could be linked to officer-involved shooting."