Editor's note: This story talks about self-harm and suicide. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of suicide, contact The National Suicide Prevention hotline at 800-273-8255.
The male suspect whose actions are believed to have caused the National Park Service to close an area of the Olympic National Park assaulted a woman after speaking of an "imminent revolution" on the horizon, according to a probable cause document filed in district court.
According to the woman, who was interviewed on Aug. 29 by the FBI, the suspect was using methamphetamine.
Around 2 a.m. that day, after dropping his children off with his brother, the suspect and woman went another person's house to deliver a handwritten note, according to the court document. The note, according to the witness, discussed the man's grievances with the White House, difficulty purchasing ammunition, and his "belief that an imminent revolution would be occurring within the next 30 days. That revolution, the note said, would begin in Texas and the Olympic Peninsula.
The witness told the FBI the suspect was armed with an AR-15 and a handgun.
The suspect and the woman drove to Deer Park campground in the national park. Along the way, the suspect stopped and walked into the woods. Shortly after, the woman saw embers from a fire and said the suspect smelled of gasoline, according to the court document.
According to the National Park Service, a fire was reported around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday near powerlines along the Hurricane Ridge parkway. The 100-foot-by-100-foot fire was extinguished by multiple fire departments.
Around 6 a.m. Sunday, the two arrived at the Deer Park campground. The suspect then became "very upset" and told the woman she was going to die "because of the 'revolution,' according to the court document. The suspect also discussed harming himself.
The suspect hit the woman with a soup can and then assaulted her.
The woman told law enforcement the suspect then walked into the forest yelling and screaming. He was wearing a tactical vest and armed with a semi-automatic rifle, shotgun, and multiple handguns, according to the court document.
The suspect was arrested Wednesday morning without incident.
The incident resulted in a days-long closure of Deer Park Road and a portion of Hurricane Ridge Road, which included the Hurricane Ridge Visitor Center - a popular destination for tourists and outdoor enthusiasts in the summer.
Charges for the man are pending.
