21-year-old arrested for throwing rocks at WA Legislative Building, damaging 13 window sets, 2 doors

A 21-year-old man was arrested Thursday after he allegedly threw large rocks at the Washington State Legislative Building in Olympia, damaging 13 window sets and two doors.

Around 1:15 a.m., a Washington State Patrol (WSP) trooper heard loud noises near the northwest corner of the building, which is the operational center of the state’s Capitol Campus, according to WSP.

The trooper saw a man throwing large rocks at the windows of the first floor. As another trooper arrived at the scene, the man reportedly fled in a white 2009 Chevrolet Malibu.

Troopers chased after the man, and additional troopers, as well as Olympia Police Department (OPD) officers, joined the pursuit. WSP said a trooper’s vehicle was struck by the man’s car, but had little damage, and no injuries were reported.

The man reportedly turned onto the power station service access road on the east side of Capitol Lake. He left the access road and drove onto a wooden bridge on a popular pedestrian walkway before crashing shortly after.

Cameras on the Capitol Campus located the man lying face down near the railroad tracks at the south end of Marathon Park.

Man taken into custody in connection with Legislative Building vandalism

The suspect was taken into custody without further incident by WSP and OPD officers.

Law enforcement administered a sobriety test, and the man was arrested for DUI, assault in the second degree, and malicious mischief in the first degree, according to WSP.

Chris Loftis, WSP Director of Public Affairs, told KIRO Newsradio the man was intoxicated at twice the legal limit. He was taken to the Thurston County Jail.

WSP said an early assessment of the Legislative Building showed no one broke in, but 13 office window sets and two doors were heavily damaged by large rocks and the man’s fist or hands, as there was blood on several windows.

“A 21-year-old kid, and very inebriated. I don’t know who he was mad at. I don’t know if it was a person or if it was the government, or I have no idea,” Loftis said.

State prepared for incident following past vandalism

Authorities noted the protective film installed on the windows after previous vandalism was effective in stopping entry and limiting any interior damage. Loftis said this is the second vandalism incident at the Capitol Campus in the last eight or nine months.

“There was one last fall. The gentleman actually got into the building,” Loftis said. “Since then, we’ve put the Department of Enterprise Services, which is basically the landlord of the state facilities, they have placed on the interior of all the windows a ballistic material, or something that aids in keeping ballistic penetration from occurring, whether it’s a bullet or a pebble or a BB or a rock, and so that did its job.”

The Department of Enterprise Services is conducting cleanup, replacement, and restoration.

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