Glass bottle in a cloth case used to bash accuser, police say

Union Gospel Mission security officers were forced to break up an assault following an argument over a stolen vape pen on May 14, 2021.

Olympia Police arrived at the Franklin St. location to find a large crowd of people surrounding security, who had detained Axel Suris-Rivera, 47.

Seated on a nearby curb was Zachary Carson, 21, who was bleeding profusely from the head. Olympia Fire medics were brought in to tend to Carson’s injuries.

Carson told police that he had been helping Suris-Rivera work on Suris-Rivera’s vehicle. Suris-Rivera had handed Carson a vape pen, which later Suris-Rivera accused him of stealing, then demanded to see in Carson’s backpack to “determine what else he had stolen.”

Carson refused and alleged that Suris-Rivera started striking Carson with “something hard,” hitting him 3-4 times around the crowd of the head. The object was a liquor bottle held by a knitted cloth bag with a handle, having the capacity to hold between 500 and 750 ml of liquor, which was secured into evidence.

Suris-Rivera maintained to Olympia Police that he was the victim attempting to recover stolen property.

Suris-Rivera was booked into the Thurston County Jail for felony assault.

Police say "Carson is currently listed as an escaped sex offender and has been providing the last name of 'Spalding' when contacted." 

Recordings of police interviews with Carson and two witnesses are available below this story.