Vancouver police fatally shot a man early Monday after responding to reports that he brandished a gun in central Vancouver.
An officer was driving just before 1 a.m. in the 2800 block of Northeast Andresen Road when several people flagged down the officer to report a man had pointed a gun at them near the parking lot of McDonald’s, according to a news release from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, which is leading the shooting investigation.
According to dispatch logs, officers developed probable cause for first-degree assault, the sheriff’s office said.
Additional officers rushed to the area and found the suspect walking south in the 2400 block of Northeast Andresen Road. An officer turned his police dog onto the man when he refused commands to stop. Four officers fired and hit the man after he pointed what appeared to be a gun at them, investigators say. The officers then gave him medical aid, but the man was later pronounced dead at a hospital.
During the incident, the police dog was shot in the tail. He underwent surgery on his tail at an emergency veterinary hospital, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
Other than the Vancouver K-9, no other officers were injured.
The names of the four officers have not been released. As is standard in police shootings, the officers are now on critical incident leave.
Police didn’t identify the man who died. That will be done later by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The SW Washington Independent Investigation Response Team, led by the sheriff’s office, will investigate the shooting. Video footage from the officers’ body cameras will be released later.
Investigators have completed scene documentation and evidence collection, and Northeast Andresen Road reopened about 11:30 a.m.
Anyone who witnessed the shooting and has not already been contacted by investigators should call 564-397-2847.
Monday’s fatal shooting was the second one by Vancouver police in about a week. Investigators recently released camera footage from a June 8 shooting.
