Confrontation over late night shotgun blast leads to assault near Vancouver Lake

A man was assaulted overnight Monday at the dead end of Northwest Lower River Road by an assailant whom he’d confronted about discharging a shotgun in a supposed restricted area, according to Vancouver police.

Officers were dispatched about 1:24 a.m. to 14000 N.W. Lower River Road, at the northern end of the road on the west side of Vancouver Lake.

The victim told police he was assaulted when he confronted a man about shooting his shotgun in the area in the middle of the night.

There are areas around Vancouver Lake Regional Park where shooting is allowed, and there are signs indicating the boundaries, Vancouver Police Department spokeswoman Kim Kapp said in an email. The areas where shooting is allowed are managed by Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Whether the suspect was in a restricted area is unknown, Kapp said.

The confrontation “escalated, and the (suspect) used a metal pipe/bat and struck the victim in the head with it, which he blocked with his arm,” police said.

The blow injured the victim’s right arm, but he did not break or fracture any bones, police said.

Officers were unable to locate the suspect, who reportedly was driving a 1997 or 1998 Jeep Cherokee.