By Darlanne Cruz
Deputies from the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO) were dispatched in the late evening of September 7 in response to a group of 40-50 rioters causing chaos outside Thurston County Jail.
The rioters set off fireworks, blocked the roadway, pulled out small trees, and even set the grass around the jail on fire, the TCSO deputies reported.
Deputies arrived at the scene and began preparing non-lethal devices to control the situation, which led the rioters to flee the area, leaving a sign behind bearing the message “FIRE TO THE PRISONS, EVERYONE GOES FREE.”
The Olympia Police Department and Tumwater Police Department provided assistance during the incident.
An arson investigation is now underway to determine the extent of the damage and identify those responsible for the disturbance.
One suspect has already been identified, arrested, and booked into the jail.
“For the record, Thurston County Jail is actually a jail, not a prison. It says “JAIL” on the front of the building,” Thurston County Sheriff’s Office clarified in their social media post.
Jails are short-term detention centers for suspects awaiting trial or sentencing, while prisons are for convicted individuals carrying out their sentences.