Shove at Northern Quest Casino leads to man’s death

A man has been accused of manslaughter after shoving a man who fell, hit his head, and later died.

Thomas M. Carey, 57, was at the Northern Quest Casino on Saturday when he got in a confrontation with a man who he said was “bothering” his mother because he thought she was playing two machines at once, according to court records.

The men exchanged words and then 66-year-old Michael P. Vercruysse swore at Carey and flipped him off. Carey responded by shoving Vercruysee to the casino floor, according to records.

Deputies arrested Carey on suspicion of assault at the time. But Vercruysse died of his injuries Monday, prompting the manslaughter accusation.

Surveillance video inside the casino showed that Vercruysse hit his head on a chair as he fell. A family member told police that his neck was broken in the fall.

Carey has been released from jail on his own recognizance after a brief court appearance Tuesday. Judge Harold D. Clarke III said Carey has only a misdemeanor from 37 years ago on his record and there’s no indication that he’s likely to commit a violent crime if released. The prosecutor’s office had requested a bond of $500,000.

Carey’s attorney, David Partovi, balked at a request from the prosecutor’s office that Carey surrender his weapons to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office.

“He does have firearms and lives in a rural area with animals, lots of animals,” Partovi said. “But to give them to the government is quite an infringement on his liberty.”

He suggested that Carey’s wife remove the guns, but Clarke said he wasn’t willing to leave it open ended. “Sometimes people aren’t very candid with what they do with their firearms,” he said.

If someone is willing to take possession of the guns they would have to submit a signed receipt with the court, Clarke said. “I’ll give you 48 hours to resolve that with the state,” he said.

Charles Carrier, a friend of Carey’s, was in court to support him. He described Carey as honest and compassionate.

“He’s one we would trust with our pets if something happened to us,” he said.

Editor’s note: The spelling of Vercruysse was corrected after publication.