Scott Robert Harmier, the 41-year-old Vancouver, Washington resident who earlier this month wounded four poker players in an unprovoked stabbing attack at La Center, WA's, The Last Frontier Casino poker room, will likely remain in custody until his trial on five felonies related to the attack begins on February 2, 2023, in a Clark County (WA) court.
Harmier was formally arraigned yesterday in Vancouver, when the February trial date was set. A $1.5 million bond was set in an earlier hearing. Harmier, who has a lengthy criminal history, has not been able to meet the bond to secure temporary release. The combined $1.5 million bond covers four separate counts of felony assault, one for each of the four stabbing victims he wounded in the December 12 late-evening attack using a hunting knife.
A fifth count, felony eluding, was added after a review of the high-speed chase that resulted in Harmier's arrest in a northeast Vancouver suburb. The chase reached speeds over 100 mph and responding officers failed in an attempt to disable Harmier's sedan with spike strips, but then succeeded in ending the chase with a risky PIT (Pursuit Immobilization Technique) maneuver and took Harmier into custody.
Multiple prior assault convictions for Harmier
In the earlier bond hearing, Clark County prosecutors declared Harmier a danger to the community with a lengthy, violent past. A report from The Columbian quoted Clark County Deputy Prosecutor Julie Carmena as stating that Harmier had "numerous" prior assault convictions, and had appeared before the court on at least 22 different bench warrants. State court records also show that in the past, Harmier has been served with at least one restraining order and has been cited on multiple occasions for illegal possession of a firearm.
Clark County prosecutors also released the names of the four victims of Harmier's late-evening stabbing spree at the Last Frontier, which consists of two table-games rooms, one of which, where the stabbings began, is dedicated solely to poker. The victims included two men, Bradley Harrington and Guao Liao, and two women, Virginia Rutty and Song Rang.
The victims suffered between two and five stab wounds each and all four were hospitalized for treatment. Harrington, Rutty, and Rang were treated and released within hours, though Liao was held for longer observation, due to one of his wounds' proximity to an artery.
If found guilty, Harmier is likely to face considerable time behind bars. First-degree (Class A) felony assault in Washington is defined as inflicting great bodily harm with force or a deadly weapon and carries a sentence of up to life in prison in addition to a fine of up to $50,000.
Featured image source: Facebook / Last Frontier Casino
