A Vancouver police officer shot a man during a disturbance call at a Fisher’s Landing East neighborhood home on Thanksgiving.
A Vancouver Police Department news release did not identify the 23-year-old man who was shot or say whether his injuries were life-threatening.
Officers were dispatched about 7:04 p.m. to a home in the 2300 block of Southeast 177th Avenue after a family member texted 911 to report that their relative was “out of control, and they were afraid he was going to hurt them,” according to the police department. Several family members were inside the home, including an elderly woman.
When officers arrived, the man who was reportedly causing a disturbance was outside. He retreated inside, was seen moving around the home’s rooms and, at one point, he was seen holding a baseball bat.
Vancouver police said a mobile crisis team, which typically consists of mental health professionals, responded to the scene but was unable to de-escalate the situation. Officers used a less-lethal 40 mm device that was ineffective, according to the police department. The man refused to drop the bat.
“He advanced toward officers outside the residence from a recently opened garage door in an apparent attempt to assault them. A Vancouver police officer fired his weapon, hitting the male who was transported to an area hospital,” the police department said.
The officer who fired his weapon has been placed on critical incident leave, which is standard procedure following a police shooting.
The Southwest Washington Independent Investigative Response Team, led by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, is investigating the shooting.
