A judge set bail at $1.5 million for a Vancouver man accused of stabbing four people late Monday night at The Last Frontier Casino in La Center and leading police on a high-speed chase.
Scott Robert Harmier, 41, appeared Wednesday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of four counts of first-degree assault and one count of attempting to elude police. He is scheduled to be arraigned Dec. 28.
Deputy Prosecutor Julie Carmena recited Harmier’s lengthy criminal history to the court, which she said included numerous assault convictions and 22 prior bench warrants.
“We believe the defendant is a danger to the community,” Carmena said.
Court records do not indicate a motive for the stabbing attack.
Shortly before midnight, one of the stabbing victims called 911 to report the attack and that the assailant left in a white Nissan sedan, according to a probable cause affidavit. An employee at the casino, 105 W. Fourth St., also called 911.
Law enforcement from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and La Center, Ridgefield and Cowlitz Tribal police departments responded.
The stabbing victims were taken by AMR to a hospital for their knife wounds, the sheriff’s office said.
Detectives met with the four victims at PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver, court records state.
One of the victims, identified in court records as Bradley Harrington, suffered a stab wound to his head. He reported the weapon was a folding knife with a 4- to 5-inch blade. Another victim, identified as Virginia Rutty, suffered stab wounds to her forehead, chest and arm. A third victim, identified as Song Rang, suffered two stab wounds to her arm and two to the side of her neck, according to the affidavit.
All three were treated and released Tuesday morning, the sheriff’s office said.
The fourth victim, who detectives believe to be Guao Liao, suffered stab wounds to his forehead and shoulder and a large cut to his wrist. He was admitted to the hospital because of the proximity of the shoulder wound to an artery, the affidavit states.
Surveillance video from inside the cardroom showed a man, later identified by authorities as Harmier, sitting at a poker table before he reached down and grabbed something. He then stood and appeared to begin stabbing the man seated to his left about five times to the head and chest area, according to the affidavit. (The affidavit does not identify which victims were captured on the surveillance video.)
Multiple people could be seen trying to intervene, and Harmier swung at them, court records state.
Once Harmier is away from the poker table, he could be seen approaching and attempting to stab a woman who was seated on his right three times. He could also be seen chasing a man outside. When the man fell, Harmier is seen stabbing him twice, the affidavit states.
Then, investigators say Harmier “causally walks” to his car.
Deputies located the Nissan on Interstate 205, just south of the split with Interstate 5, traveling at about 100 mph, court records state. Deputies said the driver matched the description of the stabbing suspect.
They pursued Harmier onto Northeast Padden Parkway, where Harmier continued driving between 90 and 110 mph, the affidavit states. They attempted to stop the car using spike strips but were unsuccessful. They eventually performed a pursuit immobilization technique, or PIT maneuver, and stopped Harmier’s car.
Deputies said Harmier sat inside the car and lit a cigarette. One deputy holstered his weapon and pulled Harmier out of the car and arrested him, court records state.
Investigators said they saw blood on the sleeves of Harmier’s hoodie and a knife sheath on the passenger’s seat of the car, according to the affidavit.
