Dispute over use of Wi-Fi leads to felony arrest

A couple’s disagreement over the usage of a Wi-Fi modem became a case of felony assault on Tuesday.

Gary Stanley, 40, was arrested after getting in a fight with his girlfriend, the alleged victim, after an argument over their home’s Wi-Fi modem being put away. The victim told Olympia Police that she and Stanley had an agreement that they would put the Wi-Fi modem away at nighttime, pulling it back out in the morning.

At approximately 11:50 a.m., the victim said that Stanley was demanding that she give him the Wi-Fi modem.

According to her statement, the victim told Stanley to wait until she could get dressed. Stanley allegedly pushed her and started going through their room to discover the location of the Wi-Fi modem.

Stanley’s father, Allen Stanley, the reporting party, entered the room after hearing Gary Stanley and the alleged victim fighting.

According to the victim's statement, prior to entering the room, Allen Stanley yelled through the door that he was going to call 911, and kept walking back and forth between the kitchen and the couple’s bedroom.

Allen Stanley stated that while he did not think his son was a violent person nor had been violent to the victim in the past, he did feel that the couple had been going through a “rough patch” in their relationship and that the victim had been seeking an alternative living arrangement prior to the day in question.

The victim stated that while the bedroom door was closed, Gary Stanley allegedly grabbed her arm, putting it behind her back, and pushed her onto the bed. The victim tried to push Gary Stanley away, but was unable to. Gary Stanley then placed his knee on the back of her neck, while she was on the bed, making it difficult for her to breathe. Finally, the victim stated that she was able to roll, and briefly get away from Stanley.

The alleged victim stated that Gary Stanley “choked me several times to where I couldn’t breathe.”  He then grabbed her again, she stated, throwing her onto the ground near a clothes basket that was filled with dirty clothes, landing the alleged victim onto her stomach. Gary Stanley then got on top of the victim, with his right arm around her neck, restricting her airway to prevent her from breathing, making the victim lightheaded.

The victim told Olympia Police that she managed to move her head and bite Gary Stanley’s arm which was covered by a jacket.

Gary Stanley was arrested for felony assault in the second degree and booked into the Thurston County Jail.