A 21-year-old man has been taken into custody after a burst of vandalism at the Washington state Capitol, where windows were smashed and doors were damaged. State troopers responded as the destruction was under way, setting off a chase that ended only when the suspect crashed his vehicle.
According to authorities, the damage at the Capitol was significant, with 13 windows smashed and two doors vandalized across the building. The scene left investigators and maintenance officials assessing the extent of the destruction and the work that would be needed to repair it.
Troopers said they first spotted the man from a distance as he was throwing rocks at windows on the first floor of the Capitol. The sight of someone openly damaging the seat of state government prompted officers to move in and try to confront the person responsible.
As the troopers got closer, however, the man got into his car and drove off, turning what had been an act of vandalism into a pursuit. Officers followed the vehicle as the suspect attempted to flee the area around the Capitol grounds.
The pursuit came to an end in dramatic fashion. According to troopers, the suspect drove onto a wooden pedestrian bridge and then crashed, bringing the chase to a halt. The 21-year-old man was eventually taken into custody following the collision.
Officials have begun tallying the cost of the damage to the historic building. A preliminary estimate from the State Department of Enterprise Services put the figure at around 100,000 dollars, a number that reflects the broken windows and damaged doors left behind at the Capitol.
Authorities cautioned that the estimate is only preliminary and could change as the investigation continues. Officials said the figure may shift as they learn more about the full scope of the damage, including details still being examined at the scene in the aftermath of the incident.