News brief: Centralia standoff target’s cause of death a mystery

Updated at 4:43 p.m.

By Sharyn  L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter

An autopsy is scheduled for this morning to figure out what killed a 58-year-old Centralia man who was the focus of an hours-long standoff with police over the weekend.

William L. Thomas was discovered dead by SWAT team members who finally stormed his house about 5:30 p.m. on Saturday.

North Tower Avenue was closed at both ends of the block beginning at Fourth Street while officers used numerous means to coax Thomas outside.

Centralia Police Department Sgt. Carl Buster said yesterday there was no  obvious cause of death, no visible signs of trauma to Thomas’s body.

Police said on Saturday they responded to the home for threats and suicidal subject. When an officer arrived, Thomas emerged with a butcher knife and then retreated inside, according to police.

Buster yesterday clarified that the “gas” introduced into the home was actually what he described as basically pepper spray in powdered form. He called it OC powder.

Besides using a megaphone to attempt to communicate with Thomas, police launched eight rounds of the substance through windows, as well as three more blasts of it, according to Buster.

Police never got a response from Thomas.

Lewis County Coroner Warren McLeod said he expects to have some answers about the death this afternoon.

Update 4:39 p.m.: McLeod said despite completing the autopsy, a determination about the cause and manner of death will now have to wait until after the results of toxicology tests come back.

That can take six to eight weeks, according to McLeod.

No signs of trauma were found, he said.
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For background, read “Centralia man dead after allegedly displaying a knife” from Saturday February 9, 2013 at 7:22 p.m., here

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This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 12th, 2013 at 10:01 am and is filed under News briefs. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

2 Responses to “News brief: Centralia standoff target’s cause of death a mystery”

  1. The Dirty Cop Enforcer says:
    Saturday, February 16, 2013 at 10:57 pm

    Here is a Video I captured of the now deceased Victim. The fact is he told me he was attacked by the Centralia Police before his death. Looks like the Police took care of his Insurace Claim. Video of the Dead Man Here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SlBlMkXqIA Keep in mind he had only one Leg.

  2. Troy H says:
    Tuesday, February 12, 2013 at 5:47 pm

    Good for the corner, Do it right the first time so there will be no complaining from anyone. If it takes 8 weeks or 20 we will know that you done your best in all aspects of the case.