Officials on Monday released the name of the officer involved in a fatal shooting of an armed suspect on Friday, as well as the name of the suspect.
Officer Ed Letarte, 53, was placed on critical-incident leave after he fired his weapon, killing an armed suspect Friday morning who had fled the scene of a crime, according to Vancouver police. Letarte is an 18-year veteran of the force.
The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office identified the dead man as Justin A. Burton, 25, of Vancouver, and said he died of a gunshot wound to the chest.
The incident began at about 6:20 a.m. Friday when Burton allegedly got into a confrontation with the owner of a vehicle at 5804 N.E. 41st Circle, in the Roads End neighborhood north of Highway 500 and west of Northeast Andresen Road.
Burton took the vehicle and drove away in the Honda but crashed into a parked activities bus at Vancouver Pointe Senior Living, 4555 N.E. 66th Ave., a few blocks away, officials said.
He then fled on foot, running through the lobby of the complex and into the neighboring apartment complex, Springfield Meadows Apartments at 4317 N.E. 66th Ave., police said.
He then entered a second-floor apartment occupied by a father and his four children, Vancouver Police Department spokeswoman Kim Kapp said. Officers and deputies followed and forcefully entered the apartment, and a Vancouver police officer shot and killed the armed man they found in a bedroom, Kapp said.
Letarte has been employed by the Vancouver Police Department since September 1998 and has worked in the domestic violence unit, on the regional SWAT team and currently is assigned to the west precinct.
Reporter Andy Matarrese contributed to this story.
