OLYMPIA, Wash. – An attorney representing two half-brothers shot by a Washington state police officer last month after they were suspected of trying to steal beer says one of them is paralyzed from the waist down.
Olympia Officer Ryan Donald reported he was being assaulted with a skateboard before the May 21 shooting that wounded Bryson Chaplin, 21, and Andre Thompson, 24.
Chaplin is paralyzed, but his family hopes it is temporary, attorney David Beninger told Seattle news station KING-TV (http://is.gd/p3Yfd1 ). He also said the men did not assault the officer with a skateboard.
Chaplin, who was shot up to five times, is still being treated at a Seattle hospital, the attorney said. Thompson is recovering at home after being shot once in the side, breaking some of his ribs, Beninger said.
The investigation into the shooting was awaiting a crime lab analysis, which could take another four to six weeks, said Deputy Chief Brad Watkins of the Thurston County sheriff's office.
When the investigation is complete, prosecutors will determine if Donald acted appropriately.
The shooting set off a series of protests. The half-brothers are black, and the officer is white.
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This story has been corrected to show the young men are half-brothers, not stepbrothers.
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Information from: KING-TV, http://www.king5.com/
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