CAMAS — A Clark County sheriff’s deputy shot a man who law enforcement believed was violating a no-contact order Wednesday night at a home in Camas, according to the agency.
The man who was shot was being treated at an area hospital as of a Thursday morning sheriff’s office statement. Officials did not release his identity nor information on his condition, as of The Columbian’s press time.
The deputy who shot the man has been placed on critical incident leave, per agency protocol, according to the sheriff’s office. Officials had not yet released the deputy’s identity.
About 10 p.m., residents in the 2300 block of Northeast Everett Street called 911 to report hearing gunshots. Neighbors reported hearing more gunshots for the next half-hour, according to the sheriff’s office.
Deputies and Camas, Vancouver and Washougal police responded.
Neighbor Ashleigh Valenzuela said she put her children to bed shortly before she heard the first gunshot. Initially, she didn’t know what to make of the gunshots, she said, knowing it is hunting season. But as she heard more gunshots and saw police begin to arrive, she knew it was serious. She said an officer told her and her husband to stay inside their home.
About 10:30 p.m., investigators using a drone spotted someone outside a home in Valenzuela’s neighborhood. The sheriff’s office said deputies believed the person was the subject of a no-contact order that prohibited him from being at the residence or having firearms.
Armored vehicles responded to the scene.
The man eventually got into a vehicle in the driveway of the home. At 11:03 p.m., law enforcement, using an armored vehicle, approached him and tried to talk with him. At that point a deputy shot the man, according to the sheriff’s office.
Responders provided first aid at the scene, and the man was taken to an area hospital, according to the sheriff’s office. No one else, including law enforcement officers, were injured.
“This was a dynamic and dangerous engagement, and I am extremely relieved there was no loss of life as a result of this encounter,” Camas Police Chief Tina Jones said in an emailed statement Thursday afternoon. “I am grateful to our community members who recognized the need and called for assistance.”
Valenzuela said she could hear law enforcement negotiating with someone over a loudspeaker. She later heard several shots in quick succession, and, after some time, saw from her window first responders load someone into an ambulance, she said.
Valenzuela said she’s seen police respond to the house before for incidents that seemed to be domestic disputes.
The Camas Police Department confirmed Thursday that officers had previously responded to that house and had done so several times in the past few weeks.
Another neighbor, James Austin, also heard gunshots around 10 p.m., he said, and he wasn’t sure what to think. He said he was shocked Thursday morning when he learned of what happened in his quiet neighborhood.
Austin is the pastor at the nearby Camas Church of the Nazarene. He said he would be at the church for the day in case any community members needed to talk.
“It is a little hard to believe that something like this happens in Camas, but, you know, we’re not immune. People are people,” he said. “My biggest concern is just the welfare of the families that were around the area.”
Valenzuela said her family was terrified, and she slept downstairs with her four kids.
The road outside of her house remained closed Thursday morning, and her youngest stayed home from school because she couldn’t get her car out of her driveway to take him. She said she’s concerned about the other family members in the neighboring house, and she hopes they are all right.
“Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought it would come to this,” she said.
The Southwest Washington Independent Investigation Team, led by the Washington State Patrol, is investigating the shooting. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has also notified the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations.
“I am extremely proud of our officers and regional partners who responded quickly in the face of extreme danger to bring this situation to resolution. Our regional law enforcement partnerships are strong and major incidents like this highlight the significance of our relationships and support for one another and the community. While this event has rattled our community, I want to reassure the public there is no identified ongoing threat,” Jones said in the statement.
The State Patrol said the shooting investigation is ongoing.
State Highway 500 between Northeast 22nd Avenue and Northwest Lake Road in Camas was closed in both directions for the investigation, according to the Washington State Department of Transportation. Drivers were asked to use alternate routes.
Local News Editor Jessica Prokop contributed to this report.
