A routine petition drive outside a South Hill Safeway turned into a felony case when, according to deputies, a 54-year-old man grabbed a signature sheet from a volunteer and sped off. The volunteer, a 63-year-old woman, followed him into the parking lot while recording on her phone. Deputies later tracked the man to his home and arrested him, and jail records show he was booked on suspicion of second-degree robbery. The petition page, reportedly bearing roughly 20 to 30 signatures, is still missing as investigators work to determine what became of the names on it.
How deputies say it unfolded
Carly Cappetto, a spokesperson for the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, told The News Tribune the confrontation happened Tuesday inside the Safeway at 15501 Canyon Road. Cappetto said the man approached the volunteer, asked to look at the petition, then walked off with the sheet after she handed it over. He allegedly left the store, got into his vehicle and drove away while the volunteer chased him and recorded his car. At one point, he is accused of covering or striking her phone in an attempt to shut off the recording, according to Cappetto’s account to the paper.
Arrest and review
Deputies later arrested the man at his home without incident, and jail records list a booking time of about 4:32 p.m. Wednesday. At booking, his only listed charge was second-degree robbery. Adam Faber, spokesperson for the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, told The News Tribune that prosecutors are reviewing all available video footage before deciding on formal charges.
Faber said prosecutors will determine whether to add any counts such as assault, theft or election-related violations as investigators gather more evidence in the case.
Legal exposure
Under Washington law, robbery in the second degree is a class B felony, according to RCW 9A.56.210. State law also spells out potential consequences for tampering with the initiative process. Interfering with someone’s ability to sign or not sign a petition can fall under Washington’s corrupt-practice statute; RCW 29A.84.250 defines that conduct and makes it a criminal offense.
Investigators say whether those missing signatures can be located, and what condition they are in if recovered, will be central to deciding if any election-law charge is pursued.
Why the petition mattered
The volunteer was gathering signatures for a repeal effort targeting the state’s recently enacted income tax on households earning more than $1 million a year. The law, often referred to as the “millionaire’s tax,” cleared the Legislature earlier this year and has quickly become a political flashpoint for organizers on both sides of the debate, as reported by The Olympian.
Anyone who finds a stray petition page or has information about the missing signatures is asked to contact the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency line at 253-287-4455. Authorities say any returned pages will be carefully examined to verify whether the listed names match registered voters in Pierce County.
