Olympia police used a recently installed vehicle surveillance system to find a man accused of firing a stolen gun in downtown earlier this year.
Officers turned to the city's "Flock Safety" camera system to locate a vehicle driven by Nicholas Alexandre McCallister, 26, after failing to locate him for months.
McCallister was allegedly found in the vehicle on July 30 along with a stolen handgun that police believe was used in the shooting, according to a Wednesday Facebook post by Olympia Police Department.
Once detained, officers booked McCallister into the county jail on suspicion of first-degree assault, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, possessing a stolen firearm and unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Court records describe him as a suspect in a May 13 shooting that occurred near the intersection of Fourth Avenue and Franklin Street.
McCallister attended his preliminary appearance in Thurston County Superior Court on July 31. Judge Sharonda Amamilo found probable cause for the alleged crimes and set bail at $25,000, determining there existed a substantial danger that McCallister may commit a violent crime if he were to be released without conditions.
The Thurston County Prosecuting Attorney's Office charged with him with one count of first-degree assault while armed with a firearm, two counts of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm and one count of possessing a stolen firearm.
The two counts of unlawful possession refer to him allegedly carrying a firearm on May 13 and again on July 30 when he was arrested, according to court records. He was not charged with unlawful discharge of a firearm.
Court records show McCallister has been convicted of more than a dozen crimes dating back to 2015. His history includes various theft and assault convictions among other crimes in Thurston County and Olympia.
He's due back in court for his arraignment at 9 a.m. Aug. 13.
The investigation into the shooting
A probable cause statement describes the investigation of the shooting from the perspective of law enforcement.
Multiple 911 callers reported hearing gunshots outside an apartment building on Franklin Street Southeast in downtown Olympia at 7:33 p.m. May 13.
Some witnesses said they saw a man fire a gun in the parking lot in front of The Reef and then run off, according to the statement.
Officers responded to the scene and found no suspects but contacted several witnesses. One witness reportedly told police they saw a man holding a handgun in a green sweatshirt, blue jeans and black beanie.
The next day, officers conducted follow-up interviews with witnesses and reviewed local surveillance footage.
A city camera showed two men walk out of frame and then run back into frame with one of them holding a handgun, according to the statement. The video reportedly showed two bullet strikes on the wall above the man as well.
Another witness told police they saw a man with puffy hair and a ponytail holding a handgun. This witness alleged the man with the ponytail fired one shot.
An additional bystander told police his employee encountered a man who told them he had been shot at. The man reportedly added that he returned fire before leaving in an unknown vehicle.
An officer knew McCallister from previous contacts and recalled he had long puffy hair and a ponytail. On May 14, the statement indicates the officer showed a witness a photo line-up of people and the witness picked out two possible people from the line-up.
One of them was McCallister. Though the witness selected another person as the possible shooter, police determined it was reasonable to believe McCallister was the suspect and continued searching for him.
That same day, officers received an anonymous call from someone who said the shooter was named "Nick," according to the statement. They added "Nick" was shot first and then returned fire.
Police allege they saw McCallister pacing back and forth in surveillance footage from a nearby business. He was reportedly with another man who police later located on social media.
The man later told police he saw McCallister and two other men outside The Reef on May 13. He alleged he saw McCallister and one of the men point guns at each other before hearing gunshots.
On July 30, officers found McCallister in a vehicle they believed was associated with him. He allegedly admitted to being in front of a downtown bar the night of the May 13 shooting.
McCallister alleged a man approached him and asked him for help "setting up" one of McCallister's friends, according to the statement. McCallister allegedly said he punched the man in the face in response.
By McCallister's account, the other man began fumbling with a bag, prompting McCallister to say, "Don't' do it. I'm faster." The statement says McCallister then stopped talking to police and asked for a lawyer.
How does the 'Flock Safety' camera system work?
The Olympia Police Department started using the Flock Safety camera system earlier this year to help officers locate stolen cars, but it can also be used to help find missing persons or other people suspected of crimes.
The system works by reading license plates on vehicles that pass by any of its cameras. This information is then stored for 30 days in a database that can be searched by law enforcement, according to Olympia's Flock Safety Transparency Portal.
Cameras do not detect faces or profile people, according to the portal. The system is reportedly prohibited from being used for immigration, traffic enforcement, harassment, intimidation or personal use.
The portal also says the system may not be used to target a protected class, such as a specific race, sex or religion.
Olympia owns 13 cameras, according to the portal. However, the city previously said it wanted to install 16 cameras on the west side near the Capital Mall triangle as well as some near Interstate 5 exits on the east side.
The system is part of a two-year pilot program that's being funded by a $100,000 grant from the state Department of Commerce, The Olympian reported in March.
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