Would-Be Graffiti Artist Killed

A teenager trying to spray-paint graffiti on a downtown building was electrocuted when he backed into an electrical transformer, authorities said.

The Thurston County coroner’s office identified the boy as Isaac Swift, 16, of Olympia.

He had climbed Sunday afternoon onto a narrow platform two to three stories above the ground where three transformers were located, Fire Department Capt. Pat Noonan said.

The youth was reaching to spray-paint graffiti onto the Capitol Theater’s wall when he apparently backed into one of the transformers, police Sgt. Jim Partin said. He had about one foot of room to maneuver between the edge of the platform and the transformers.