From the New York Times:
Man Attacking ICE Detention Center Is Fatally Shot by the Police
The police fatally shot a man who was attacking an immigration detention center in Tacoma, Wash., on Saturday morning, the authorities said.
The man, who was armed with a rifle, was throwing unspecified “incendiary devices” at the Northwest Detention Center, according to a police statement. The man, identified by officials on Saturday afternoon as Willem Van Spronsen, 69, of Vashon Island, Wash., continued throwing lit objects at buildings and cars, the statement said.
“One car was fully engulfed in flames,” said Officer Loretta Cool, a spokeswoman for the Tacoma Police Department. “He was also trying to ignite a big propane tank but he was not successful.”
Officers arrived around 4 a.m. and called out to Mr. Van Spronsen, who was wearing a satchel and had flares, the statement said. Shots were fired that resulted in his death, though Officer Cool could not say whether he had opened fire.
More at the NYT but nothing about Mr. Van Spronsen's political leanings. From paragraphs eight, nine and ten from this article in the Seattle Times:
Deb Bartley, a friend of Van Spronsen’s for about 20 years, described him as an anarchist and anti-fascist, and she believes his attack on the detention center was intended to provoke a fatal conflict.
“He was ready to end it,” Bartley said. “I think this was a suicide. But then he was able to kind of do it in a way that spoke to his political beliefs … I know he went down there knowing he was going to die.”
She and other friends of Van Spronsen got letters in the mail “just saying goodbye.” He also wrote what she referred to as a manifesto, which she declined to discuss in detail but predicted would be taken by authorities.
Buried below the fold that the guy was an anarchist, a fascist and wanted to commit suicide by cop.
And yes, there was a manifesto. There is always a manifesto with these whacked-out nut-jobs.
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