Death of suspected cop shooter ruled suicide due to hanging

The death of a Clark County Jail inmate accused of shooting a Vancouver police officer during a routine traffic stop last month was ruled a suicide by hanging.

The death marks the first suicide in the jail since 2012.

The Clark County Medical Examiner said that James T. Sapp, 48, died of asphyxia after attempting suicide in his jail cell Thursday. He was interrupted by jail personnel who found him at 1:30 p.m. that day, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office. He was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center and pronounced dead at 12:45 p.m. Friday after his family elected to take him off life support, according to family spokesman Pastor Michael Baca.

Sapp was accused of shooting motorcycle traffic officer Dustin Goudschaal seven times on June 30 after Goudschaal pulled over the black Dodge Ram truck that Sapp was driving on Northeast 34th Street near 162nd Avenue in east Vancouver.

Goudschaal was shot twice in the head, once in his ballistic vest and in his arm, shoulder and leg, according to Clark County Prosecutor Tony Golik.

Sapp had been held at the jail on a $5 million bail since his arrest shortly after the shooting.

Sapp, a purported white supremacist, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the charges against him — which included attempted murder, attempted robbery, unlawful possession of a firearm, assault and possession of methamphetamine and heroin.

His trial was scheduled for Dec. 8.

Sapp is survived by his wife of 10 years, Leah, and a 22-year-old son.

Jail suicides

Last year was the first year since 2006 with no suicides in the Clark County Jail; between 2007 and 2012, a total of 13 inmates committed suicide.

In response to the suicides, commissioners in 2012 approved $545,000 to upgrade the jail to help prevent suicide. That work includes replacing all 42 shower heads with shorter-nozzled models, and replacing at least 356 protruding fire sprinklers, which was expensive because it required cutting into walls and moving pipes.