|
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Friday, March 31, 2006
| Contact: |
Karen
Daniels,
Thurston
County
Corrections Chief, 360-786-5505 |
|
Todd Thoma, Deputy Corrections Chief, 360-786-5505. |
Corrections
Officer Assaulted by Inmate
OLYMPIA
–
A
Thurston
County
corrections officer was injured this afternoon in a fight with an inmate who
was being brought to court. The
incident happened about 1:30 in the afternoon as the inmate was being taken by
elevator from the jail to the courtroom. The
elevator stopped and the alarm went off, prompting courthouse officials to
send an alarm to the nearby Sheriff’s Office.
Responding corrections officers and deputies found the
elevator jammed between floors and could hear the female corrections
officer’s screams and sounds from the altercation inside.
After approximately 20 minutes, the elevator was lowered to the
basement and the doors were pried open. Responding
officers observed the inmate with the corrections officer and they quickly
subdued him. Both the officer and
the inmate were taken to the hospital for treatment.
The type and extent of their injuries is not known at this time, but
they are not believed to have been serious.
The inmate is listed as Carl Vance, a 62-year-old who
had been arrested earlier in
Olympia
on a charge of First Degree Armed Robbery.
Mr. Vance has a lengthy criminal history.
The investigation into the incident is in the
preliminary stages and very little has been ascertained so far.
The interjurisdictional
Thurston
County
“Officer Involved Shooting Team” has been brought in to help with the
investigation, since the incident involved a
Thurston
County
officer.
Building Two of the Thurston County Courthouse
(the
Superior
Court
Building
) was evacuated as a precaution after the incident.
It was reopened about 2:18 PM.
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