A Vancouver man is accused of acting as the getaway driver for two teenagers in a June 15 drive-by shooting at an east Vancouver apartment complex.
Zachary A. Bruce, 27, appeared Monday in Clark County Superior Court on a warrant for charges of drive-by shooting, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, attempt to elude and possession of a stolen vehicle, court records show.
Judge Jennifer Snider set his bail at $300,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned July 24, according to court records.
Vancouver police responded at 3:04 p.m. to Alder Creek Apartments, 11716 N.E. 49th St., for reports of a shooting. A caller told dispatchers someone wearing a mask was firing out of a vehicle, which then drove away from the complex, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Officers arrived to find an apartment occupied by three people was struck by a bullet. Investigators said the same apartment had been struck by gunfire multiple times in the last two months, court records state.
Then, at 5:53 p.m., someone reported to 911 they saw two men with “AK-style” rifles in a car that matched the earlier caller’s description at an apartment complex across the street from the Alder Creek Apartments. This caller also said the men were wearing masks, according to the affidavit.
When officers responded to that call, they confirmed the car was the same one seen on surveillance video in the drive-by shooting. Detectives said they also recognized the driver as Bruce, according to court records.
When police attempted to stop the car, Bruce sped away, and officers pursued. Officers said Bruce continued to drive recklessly, striking another car at an intersection. The car entered Portland, and police there continued the pursuit. As the car approached Portland’s Steel Bridge, officers saw the suspects toss two guns from the car. Investigators later recovered the guns from the sidewalk and bridge walkway, the affidavit states.
Portland police said the suspect vehicle then crashed into a MAX train near Northwest Third Avenue and Glisan Street. Vancouver police said the car was pinned between the MAX train and sidewalk. No one on the MAX train was injured, but the crash caused transit delays in the area.
Officers arrested Bruce and two other occupants, identified in court records as Adyn Cochran, 16, and Zachary Graham, 17, without incident.
In an interview with police, Bruce allegedly admitted to driving Cochran and Graham by the apartment. He said Cochran fired the shot that struck the unit. He also allegedly said he stole the getaway car near Southeast Mill Plain Boulevard and 121st Avenue, the affidavit states.
Cochran and Graham are charged in Clark County Juvenile Court with drive-by shooting and second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm. Graham appeared on the charges Tuesday. He is being held in the Clark County Juvenile Detention Center and is scheduled to be arraigned July 20. Court records in Graham’s case indicated that as of Tuesday, Cochran remained in custody in Multnomah County, Ore.
