A Vancouver man was justified when he shot a 45-year-old man in the front yard of a Fruit Valley home in May, according to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.
Jeremy G. Bicknell, 34, was acting in self-defense when he shot Thomas L. Miller four times in front of Bicknell’s house at 1927 W. 27th St. on May 9, Deputy Prosecutor Dan Gasperino wrote in his decision Tuesday.
“Thomas Miller created the circumstances that led to his own death,” Gasperino wrote. “When he burst uninvited into Jeremy Bicknell’s home …, he created an atmosphere of uncertainty and fear for those who were present inside.”
The decision revealed new details about the shooting, which Vancouver police had kept secret during their several-month-long investigation.
On the day of the shooting, Miller burst into Bicknell’s home unannounced and threatened to kill Bicknell and his friend, Matthew Hobson, with a large sword, according to Gasperino. The men knew each other, according to previous reports.
Toxicology tests showed that at the time of the incident, Miller had amphetamine and methamphetamine in his blood. He also was known as a “violent man” with several prior convictions for assault, harassment and weapons violations, Gasperino wrote.
Bicknell first asked Miller to leave without success. He then armed himself with a gun for protection and escorted Miller out the front door.
Some time during the conflict, a report was made to 911 of a weapons dispute at the home.
Once the two men were outside and Bicknell had asked Miller to leave several times, Miller lunged at Bicknell and tried to wrestle away the gun. He knocked Bicknell to the ground during the struggle.
“Believing Miller was about to overpower him and use his own gun to murder him, Jeremy Bicknell shot Thomas Miller one time,” Gasperino wrote.
Despite a gunshot wound, Miller continued to advance on Bicknell, so Bicknell shot Miller three more times until Miller stopped.
In his decision, Gasperino noted the difference in size between the two men: Miller was 6-foot-2 and 224 pounds, and Bicknell is 5-foot-10 and 205 pounds.
Although witness accounts of the incident differ, witnesses agreed that Miller was “angry, aggressive, belligerent and armed with a sword,” Gasperino wrote.
Bicknell was temporarily detained for questioning and released.
Vancouver Police Department’s Major Crimes detectives also concluded that Bicknell was justified in shooting Miller, Gasperino wrote.
“When he held Bicknell and (Hobson) at sword-point, he led them to believe their death was imminent,” the prosecutor wrote. “And when Miller tried to overpower Bicknell for his gun, he led Bicknell to believe he … was going to be murdered by Miller.”
Bicknell could not be reached Tuesday for comment on the decision.
