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Man charged with murder after fight at Washington sex offender facility

Published  January 8, 2019 3:38pm PST
Associated Press

TACOMA, Wash. -- The man involved in a fatal fight at a Washington state facility that houses sexually violent predators has been charged with murder.

Pierce County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Kawyne Lund said Gregory Coley Jr. was charged Monday with causing the death of Jerry Spicer.

She said Coley pleaded not guilty and would be assigned a lawyer.

Lund said in the charging document that Coley confronted Spicer on January 2 in the cafeteria of the Special Commitment Center on McNeil Island.

She said video shows Coley chest-bumping Spicer, and then pushing him to the floor, where he hit his head.

Spicer remained motionless and staff tried to stop the bleeding, but he later died at a hospital.

The coroner's office said Tuesday they were conducting an autopsy to determine cause of death.