Wade C. Buchanan awaits his turn to see a judge in Chehalis on Thursday.
By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The man accused of biting, hitting and kicking three paramedics in an apparently unprovoked attack at a Centralia gas station will be examined by doctors at a state mental hospital before a criminal case will proceed in Lewis County Superior Court.
Wade C. Buchanan, 47, of Olympia, remains held in the Lewis County Jail following his arrest on Saturday.
Buchanan appeared before a judge in Chehalis yesterday morning, where his lawyer requested a competency evaluation.
“I think there’s competency issues,” Chehalis attorney Chris Baum said. “It’s important to deal with that early on in a case.”
Lewis County Prosecutor Jonathan Meyer said he was still gathering reports, but believes previous cases against Buchanan have been dismissed, possibly related to issues of competency.
Buchanan was charged on Monday with two counts of second-degree assault and one count of third-degree assault in connection with the afternoon incident at the Chevron station on the 1200 block of Mellen Street, near Interstate 5.
AMR’s headquarters is just around the corner
Police say no one could explain why Buchanan lashed out at the men.
The AMR medics were fueling up their ambulance and Buchanan’s vehicle was parked at the gas pumps in front of them, according to police.
Centralia Police Department Sgt. Carl Buster said Buchanan made a comment about them driving a new ambulance and then charged one the medics. Court documents allege Buchanan approached the driver, Steven Spurgeon-Busz, and tried to pull him out of his rig; he resisted and Buchanan bit him on the arm, breaking the skin.
Buster said, after the arrest, that surveillance footage of the scene showed the driver kicking Buchanan away from the ambulance.
The video captured what appear to be the first portions of what turned into a brawl, but much of it becomes blocked by a gas pump and then an arriving truck.
Charging documents say when Ronald Dire-Day moved in to help, Buchanan struck him in the face leaving a large cut; the two AMR employees tackled Buchanan and then a third medic arrived to assist.
Scott Riley was trying to control Buchanan’s legs when he was kicked in the chest, according to charging documents.
Another customer, 49-year-old Victoria Disney, of Vancouver, Wash., told police she jumped on Buchanan’s back in an effort to help the medics, according to authorities.
Buchanan allegedly continued to fight when four police officers responded, as one applied a Taser to the back of his neck and another sprayed pepper spray in his eyes and mouth, according to charging documents.
“(He) attacked them and he’s crazy,” Disney reportedly told police. She was unhurt.
Buster said Buchanan sustained some scrapes.
In court yesterday, Buchanan was shackled at both his waist and ankles.
Judge James Lawler signed an order allowing DNA to be taken via a mouth swab so it could be tested for communicable diseases, given one of the medics was bit.
A review hearing was scheduled for Feb. 21, so the lawyers could inform the judge if the report from Western State Hospital is back after the competency evaluation.
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For background and link to video footage, read “Sharyn’s Sirens: Daily police and fire roundup – THREE MEDICS INJURED IN GAS STATION BRAWL” from Sunday January 27, 2013, here
Tags: By Sharyn L. Decker, news reporter
Im guessing that Sumthin2say must be a medic or fireman.
Seriously! This guy obviously needs help. Why is that not obvious to you somethin2say. It’s not normal for someone to attack people in this manner. Give the guy some meds or something, he probably needs them. Much like half this damn county!!!!
i doubt it was unprevoked medics and firemen are the biggest trash talkers i know.