OLYMPIA — Conservative political activist Glen Morgan was involved in a shooting early Monday on family property in Tenino, according to Morgan’s attorney.
Glen Morgan confirmed the shooting, then referred The Olympian to Angus Lee, his Vancouver-based attorney.
Lee released a statement about the incident late Tuesday.
Sometime around 4:30 a.m. Monday, Glen and his brother, who had heard a noise outside on their adjoining property, went out to investigate when they encountered two men “hiding their identity and faces with headgear,” according to the statement.
“When they were caught in the act of breaking into a storage unit on the private property, and then confronted, one of them charged at and assaulted Mr. Morgan,” the statement reads.
The man who charged Morgan was holding something that looked like a baseball bat, Lee said.
Morgan was armed and the gun was fired during the assault, although it’s not entirely clear how, Lee said. The suspect is believed to have been struck by the bullet and taken to an area hospital, but that is still unconfirmed, he said.
Lee has not seen a police report, he said. The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office responded to the Monday morning incident in the 1200 block of Oak Drive Southeast, but could not be reached Tuesday for a narrative of events.
The other suspect fled from the area, according to the statement. The Morgan brothers called police.
“When police arrived they conducted an investigation. As it was clear that Mr. Morgan acted in conformity with the law, the police departed the area with the trespasser,” the statement reads.
“It is believed that the second trespasser was arrested a few hours later and found to be carrying a firearm at the time,” according to the statement.
Thurston County Sheriff John Snaza added late Tuesday that the two suspects drove on to the Morgan property in off-road vehicles.
When the suspect confronted Morgan, investigators were told the gun accidentally went off, Snaza said. The bullet ultimately went through the man’s left bicep, he added.
The injured man was almost taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, but later went to an area hospital, Snaza said.
The Monday morning incident is under investigation, he said.
