LEWIS COUNTY, Wash. — A man from Olympia accused of killing Washington State Patrol Trooper Justin Schaffer pleaded guilty for first-degree murder and attempted murder in the first degree.
William David Thompson will be sentenced on July 5 for the crimes committed in March of 2020, according to the Lewis County Prosecutor's Office.
Thompson, of Olympia, was wanted by police for shoplifting from a convenience store and attempting to hit the clerk with his vehicle on March 23, 2020.
When police located the Ford F-150 and attempted to pull Thompson over, he fled, according to court documents. Deputies pursued the truck into Lewis County.
Thompson drove in excess of 100 mph, "using all lanes and even the paved shoulder," according to court documents.
Several WSP troopers joined the pursuit by deploying spike strips.
Trooper Justin Schaffer, 28, was one of the troopers deploying spike strips when he was struck by the suspect’s vehicle. According to court documents, Thompson "veered directly towards Schaffer." He was taken to the hospital, but died from his injuries.
A half-mile away, Trooper Michael Farkas was attempting to stop Thompson with spike strips when Thompson "again drove straight toward Trooper Farkas and his patrol car," despite having a "clear path to stay left," according to court documents.
Thompson hit Farkas' car, sheering off a bumper, which hit Farkas in the chest. The force of the object could have caused serious injury had Farkas not been wearing his ballistic vest.
Thompson eventually lost control of the truck.
After a standoff that lasted nearly one and a half hours, which included police firing smoke canisters into the truck, Thompson was arrested.