Man Accused of Killing Washington State Patrol Trooper Found Not Competent to Stand Trial

Lewis County Superior Court Judge Andrew Toynbee ruled last Thursday the Olympia man accused of striking and killing a Washington State Patrol trooper while being pursued by law enforcement on Interstate 5 in March is not competent to stand trial right now, based on a competency assessment report.

William D. Thompson, 39, was evaluated on April 1 by Dr. Michelle Hart with the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) and on April 10 she determined Thompson suffers from mental health issues that would not allow him to be tried at this time.

Toynbee ruled Thompson’s treatment would last 90 days and that the treatment facility would reevaluate his competency and send a report to the superior court with its findings once the treatment has concluded.

Thompson would also be committed to the custody of the Secretary of the DSHS who would determine the appropriate facility for further evaluation and treatment. 

“Although Mr. Thompson appeared to have the capacity to understand the factual nature of the proceedings, due to his mental disease or defect he lacks both the capacity to rationally apply his knowledge in his current case and the capacity to assist in his defense,” Hart wrote in her report.

Thompson is accused of intentionally hitting Trooper Justin Schaffer, 28, killing him, on March 24 on I-5 in Chehalis. Thompson was fleeing arrest on robbery and assault charges in Thurston County. 

Thompson was reportedly driving more than 100 miles per hour, the report states, using all lanes and the shoulder of the freeway in an attempt to evade the deputies who were pursuing him as a suspect in alleged robbery from the previous day. Thompson was accused in that instance of threatening to hit a person with is car. 

Schaffer was laying down spike strips when Thompson swerved to hit him, according to the charges against him. 

According to the state patrol, Thompson continued driving south after striking Schaffer and attempted to hit a second trooper.

He eventually stopped after crashing his vehicle  at milepost 77 on an overpass. He was arrested after a standoff. 

Schaffer was an Adna High School graduate based out of the Chehalis State Patrol detachment since 2018. Before that, he worked in Morton. He had recently qualified to work as a K9 handler with dog Frankie. 

Thompson’s competency assessment consisted of a 95-minute interview with Thompson, phone interviews with Thompson’s defense attorney and mother, medical records and court documents from his case. 

According to the report, Thompson put forth adequate effort throughout the evaluation and there was no suggestion that he attempted to inaccurately present himself.

The report also stated that if the court were to release Thompson an evaluation from a designated crisis responder is necessary due to the hallucinations Thompson allegedly experiences that command him to harm President Donald Trump.

Additionally, three more counts of first-degree assault were charged against him on April 7. According to Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer, those charges were added to this case from a separate matter that occurred in Kitsap County on March 18.

According to Sergeant Darren Wright of the WSP, on March 18 Thompson was allegedly involved in a road rage incident on State Route 16 where at one point he got out of his vehicle and pointed a firearm at people.

The Washington State Patrol District Eight did not immediately release details of the alleged incident to The Chronicle because it is part of an ongoing investigation. A public records request has been filed to obtain additional details pertaining to Thompson’s added charges.

Thompson’s next competency review hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3.