Two arrested in WSU arson fires

A WSU employee cleans up an area of burned brush Monday.

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Story Published: Apr 22, 2008 at 12:22 AM PDT

Story Updated: Nov 20, 2008 at 6:44 PM PDT

By Matt Loveless

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PULLMAN - Two WSU students were arrested Monday in connection with nine fires set early Monday morning at the school.

Pullman Police said they were able to catch one of the suspects while he was leaving the scene of a fire at the Stephenson dormitory.

"That person ran away," said WSU Police Chief Bill Gardner. "The Pullman officers chased and placed that person under arrest for obstructing."

Gardner said 21-year-old David Miner and 18-year-old Ian Copland each face five counts of First Degree Arson, four counts of Second Degree Reckless Burning, and one count of Malicious Mischief.

Police said the fires all happened within an hour around 1:00 a.m. Monday. No one was injured. The fires happened at Stephenson East, as well as a parking garage on campus, and in some bushes at Abelson Hall. One WSU staff member said the Abelson building smelled like smoke all morning. Stephenson was briefly evacuated.

Gardner said they have no reason to believe anyone else was involved in setting the fires.

While investigators continue to assess the damage, Gardner calls the arrests a victory for local law enforcement.

"You don't catch arsonists every day, so it was a good call by the officers from both departments," he said.

Miner is from Tacoma and Copland is from Aberdeen. Both appeared in court for a bail hearing Monday and were released on their own recognizance.

Whitman County Prosecutor Denis Tracy said neither has a criminal history and they are not considered a flight risk.

(AP contributed to this story.)

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