An autopsy on the body of the 66-year-old man pulled from the burning room at the Westerly Motel in Ocean Shores Thanksgiving morning found the manner of death to be a suicide.
Grays Harbor County Coroner Lane Youmans said the man’s next of kin had been contacted and the man was identified as Michael Butts of Freeland.
Youmans said a forensic pathologist concluded that “the cause of death was asphyxia due to inhalation of products of combustion (smoke).”
Butts died early Thanksgiving morning after police say he threatened an officer with two knives, barricaded himself in a motel room at the Westerly and set fire to it after being hit by a Taser.
Deputy Police Chief Russ Fitts said Ocean Shores Police were called to the motel, 870 Ocean Shores Blvd. NW, about 8:30 a.m. by the owner. The man reportedly was moving items out of his room and into the parking lot.
Fitts reported there had been previous issues with the man, who had stayed at the Westerly in the past.
“The owner told the officer that the subject had been taking pictures off of the walls in the room and setting them in the parking lot,” said a news release from Fitts.
When the officer arrived, Butts had just returned and re-entered his room.
“The owner wanted to evict the tenant and the officer accompanied her as she went to contact him. The officer saw that the subject was watching them through the room window,” the news release said. “After knocking and receiving no answer, the owner decided to enter the room to evict the subject.”
After receiving no response to the owner and officer announcing their presence, the officer “looked briefly around the room and located the subject standing behind the shower curtain. The subject had two 8-10-inch long kitchen knives raised and lunged toward the officer and owner,” according to the news release.
“The officer shoved the owner out of the room and ordered the subject to drop the knives while he retreated and pointed his Taser at him. The subject dropped the knives but continued after the officer. The officer Tased the subject but the subject was still able to kick the officer. The officer was able to back out of the room as the subject was throwing a chair at him before the subject slammed the door closed.”
After requesting additional police units and officers from the Grays Harbor Sheriff’s Department and the State Patrol, along with additional Ocean Shores officers, police tried to contact Butts but received no response, Fitts said. After approximately 25 minutes on the scene, officers then spotted flames and smoke coming from within the room.
“Officers initially broke windows in an effort to contact the subject and were able to see him lying on the floor. Officers forced the door and pulled the subject from the burning room and began administering CPR as the Ocean Shores Fire Department arrived on scene.,” the news release said. “The subject was transported to Grays Harbor Community Hospital where he later died.”
Ocean Shores firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze and limited damage to the one motel room. Grays Harbor Fire District No. 7 also assisted in the response. The investigation is still ongoing.
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