WSP asking for help identifying man who helped breach grounds of governor’s mansion

Washington State Patrol is asking for help in identifying a man who participated in breaching the grounds of the governor’s mansion on Jan. 6 in Olympia.

The man is being investigated for third-degree assault and other crimes, authorities said.

During the chaos that happened on Jan. 6 at the U.S. Capitol, dozens of former President Donald Trump supporters in Olympia broke away from a rally in front of the state Capitol and pushed through the security gates at the governor’s mansion, storming the grounds to the front door.

Troopers with the WSP typically guard the front gates and the lawn of the mansion, but the two troopers who were there were quickly overwhelmed by an angry crowd that day.

Protesters, some of who were armed, demanded to confront Gov. Jay Inslee about the mandated lockdowns and unfounded claims that state elections were fraudulent.

Inslee was inside the mansion at the time of the breach, but he and his family were not harmed.

Troopers believed it was the first mass breach of the secure grounds by a protest in the mansion’s 112-year history.

After the breach, there was a much larger presence of troopers on the Capitol campus the next day.

When the Washington state legislature began its 105-day session, the Capitol campus was under tighter security with the assistance of the National Guard.

The state Capitol was encircled by fencing and fortified with the National Guard and troopers from around the state.

Cox Media Group