No new information was released this week in the fatal shooting of a Black man by a Clark County sheriff’s deputy during a Feb. 4 traffic stop in Hazel Dell.
Jenoah Donald, 30, died early Feb. 12 after his family had him removed from life support the day prior.
The Vancouver Police Department — which is handling the release of information and leading the shooting investigation — said Friday the investigation is continuing, and there was no new information to release at this time.
The SW Washington Independent Investigative Response Team is required to provide weekly updates on police shooting investigations in accordance with the Law Enforcement Training and Community Safety Act, formerly known as I-940. This is not the first time a weekly update has contained no new information.
Three deputies had responded around 7:40 p.m. Feb. 4 to the area of Northeast 68th Street and Northeast Second Avenue for a “suspicious activity” call. K-9 handler Deputy Sean Boyle stopped a bronze-colored Mercedes-Benz, driven by Donald, for a “defective rear light,” an initial account of the shooting investigation states.
According to investigators and court records, Boyle wrestled with Donald in the driver’s seat of Donald’s car before firing twice, striking him once, after the car began moving forward with Boyle partially inside.
Several police experts and trainers have raised questions about whether the involved deputies could have done more to de-escalate the situation.
“Given the public comments by experts on the escalation, it would be useful for the sheriff’s office to release their training manuals,” said Mark Lindquist, an attorney representing Donald’s family.
The shooting took place three months after and less than a mile from where deputies fatally shot Kevin Peterson Jr., a 21-year-old Black man.
Public pressure has intensified, particularly on the topic of police body-worn cameras, following the two shooting deaths. Two dozen people submitted verbal and written comments for the Clark County Council’s Tuesday night meeting, expressing dismay and calling for transparency and changes to policing.
