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2 stepbrothers shot by Olympia police officer plead not guilty to assault charges

Published  September 22, 2015 7:11pm PDT
Associated Press

Stepbrothers plead not guilty to assaulting Olympia cop

Stepbrothers plead not guilty to assaulting Olympia cop



OLYMPIA, Wash. (AP) — Two stepbrothers shot by an Olympia police officer pleaded not guilty to assault charges Tuesday in a Thurston County court.

Bryson Chaplin, 21, has been charged with two counts of felony assault against police officer Ryan Donald and one count of misdemeanor assault against a Safeway clerk he is accused of throwing beer at.

His stepbrother, Andre Thompson, 24, has been charged with two counts of felony assault against Donald.

Donald, who is white, encountered the two black men, after being called in on a report of an attempt to steal beer from a grocery store by two men carrying skateboards.

Donald later confronted the stepbrothers on a nearby road and shot them both when, he said, they tried to attack him with their skateboards.

Earlier this month, Thurston County Prosecutor Jon Tunheim announced he would not seek criminal charges against Donald, because he had a "actual, good faith fear" he could suffer serious injury as a result of being assaulted by the two men.