The mother of a man shot by a Vancouver police officer during an altercation in Uptown Village was sentenced Wednesday to four months in jail for a drug-related conviction.
Tavi Tovar, 39, of Vancouver pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to attempted possession of methamphetamine. Detectives found the drug in her purse while investigating the Feb. 25 officer-involved shooting, in which the suspect, Tovar’s son, allegedly tried to run over the officer. She was a passenger in his vehicle.
Dominic Tovar, 23, is charged with second-degree assault, first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of oxycodone with the intent to deliver, possession of a Schedule I or II controlled substance, attempting to elude a pursuing police vehicle and hit-and-run resulting in injury. His case is pending.
He was wounded after Vancouver police Officer Ken Suvada fired multiple shots through the back window of Tovar’s Ford sedan as he backed into the officer’s leg, according to an affidavit of probable cause.
Tovar was allegedly armed with a loaded .40 caliber handgun, but court records do not state whether he returned fire. Police later found the weapon in the waistband of his pants.
The altercation began about 11:15 a.m. after an off-duty corrections officer spotted Tovar in a vehicle parked at Walgreens, 2521 Main St. Tovar had a warrant for his arrest for failing to report to the state Department of Corrections in December. The corrections officer called for assistance, and Suvada, who was on patrol, responded, the affidavit said.
Suvada tried to talk with Tovar, but he ignored commands to shut off the car’s engine and instead backed into the officer. That’s when Suvada took out his handgun and shot through the back window, court records state.
The Ford sped off but crashed into a silver Pontiac Grand Am near the intersection of East 16th Street and Broadway, according to court documents. Police said Tovar’s vehicle also struck the Not Too Shabby boutique, a business at the corner.
Tovar and his mother ran from the crash and were taken into custody near the intersection of East 15th and C streets. Police found a dozen oxycodone pills in his jacket pocket, the affidavit states. He told police he was in the store parking lot to sell the pills, court records said.
During their investigation, police obtained a search warrant for Tavi Tovar’s purse and found a glass pipe with white residue. The substance field-tested positive for methamphetamine, according to a separate probable cause affidavit.
In addition to jail, Tavi Tovar was sentenced to a year of community custody and drug treatment, Deputy Prosecutor James Smith said. She was given credit for 26 days in custody.
