City hall and cars damaged in vandal's attack

When he approached the broken city hall front door from the inside late Saturday night, the suspect in widespread vandalism there saw the targeting dots on his chest from an officer's taser and immediately complied with an order to lie down.

Coulee Dam's Officer Mathew Ponusky, driving by on patrol just before 11 p.m., had noticed the broken glass door on the front of the building and stopped to investigate.

Ponusky could hear glass breaking at the southwest corner of the building, and, looking through blinds, saw a man headed to the front door. The officer decided to confront the suspect.

"I drew my department issued taser and met the male at the front entrance to the building," Ponusky reported. "With my taser dots on his chest I gave him commands to lie down on the floor."

Mylan Williams complied and the officer put wrist restraints on him.

Another Coulee Dam officer arrived moments later and watched Williams while Ponusky checked the rest of the building for anyone else.

No one else was in the building, but he noted more damage: Several computer screens were knocked over, windows were broken and there were holes in several walls in the clerk's office and the city council chambers.

Grand Coulee officer Hopper arrived a few minutes later and escorted Williams to his patrol car to take him to jail. Williams wanted no part of that, nor to be searched, Ponusky reported. It took all three officers to get him in the back of Hoppers patrol car.

Williams eventually flipped onto his back and started kicking inside the car, police said, damaging it on his way to Grant County Jail in Ephrata on charges of "Malicious Mischief 1st, Burglary 1st, and Resisting arrest."

But there was more.

Outside, police noted damage to five of the Grand Coulee Police Department cars parked there since the city canceled its contract for police services to the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation last fall.

Windows had been smashed with a brick, which later made its way into the currently vacant police chief's office through a double-pane glass window.

Five separate charges of "Malicious Mischief 2nd" were added to Williams booking charges.

Ponusky later returned in daylight to assess the damage, summarizing "7 to 8 broken exterior windows - Several computer screens broken - Coffee pot broken – Minor damage to walls/ desks/ and printer in Clerk's Office – Major wall and ceiling damage in Council Chambers - Broken Glass

Table in Council Chambers - Broken Glass Exterior Main Entrance Door - 3 Shattered windshields (Patrol vehicles) - 1 Shattered driver side window (Patrol vehicles) - 1 Shattered rear window."

City Clerk Lorna Pierce said Monday the city would have a contractor estimate the cost of cleanup.