An Olympia man was charged with a felony after allegedly stealing the sign of two protesters outside Olympia Planned Parenthood and beating them with a cane.
A March 8 document from the Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney indicates that Miles Benjamin Gross-Santos, 22, was charged with second-degree robbery.
Olympia police said Gross-Santos was arrested on March 4 after a reporting party said a man stole someone’s protest sign and assaulted that person when they attempted to take the sign back.
Police arrived at the scene and spoke with two protesters who said Gross-Santos walked up to their sign, grabbed it, and began dragging it away.
One of the two protesters said he followed the suspect and tried to pull the sign back from him, at which point Gross-Santos allegedly lifted a cane and began striking him. He was not injured.
Three other protesters corroborated the account of the one who got hit by a cane.
Police located Gross-Santos near Capitol Lake Grocery. The suspect refused to stop walking after an officer told him that he was under arrest. An officer caught up to Gross-Santos and detained him without incident. He was positively identified as the suspect in the incident by one of the protesters.
Gross-Santos was booked at the Thurston County Jail for robbery.
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Easydoesit
I have so many questions!
*Who was protesting what?
*Why was he charged with robbery and not assault?
*First you stated, "One of TWO protesters.... And then, " Three other protesters corroborated the account of the one who got hit by a cane." So which is it?
*Was there dialogue, or did it all happen silently?
Wednesday, March 16, 2022 Report this