A 56-year-old Clark County man was fatally shot by a Vancouver police officer last week during an hourslong standoff with law enforcement in the Walnut Grove area.
Michael D. Williams was pronounced dead at the scene in the early morning hours of Sept. 27, according to a Thursday night statement from the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team, the agency investigating the shooting.
The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy Thursday.
Williams was shot once by an as of yet unidentified Vancouver police officer who is a member of the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT Team.
According to earlier statements from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the Vancouver Police Department, deputies were called about 11 p.m. to the 5400 block of Northeast 71st Street, north of Vancouver city limits. Callers said Williams, who lived in the neighborhood, had slashed residents’ car tires and that he had been seen with a gun.
Deputies and a drone operator responded and were able to see Williams was armed and moving around his property, in and out of his home, which had been occupied. The women inside were able to escape.
About 12:45 a.m., Williams came back out to his driveway and fired at least one round into the air.
The drone operator saw Williams was armed with a rifle, which he fired.
The SWAT team arrived with armored vehicles about 2:29 a.m. to set up a perimeter. Williams started shooting at the armored vehicles, hitting them and almost shattering a windshield, according to earlier statements. Six Vancouver police officers were inside that armored vehicle at the time, according to the major crimes team.
At 2:36 a.m., Williams was reportedly seen near the rear door of his home with a rifle in hand and appeared to be targeting officers, according to the major crimes team.
“SWAT officers were positioned around the suspect residence, and it appeared he was setting up barricaded shooting positions inside his residence. At approximately 2:36 a.m., officers saw the suspect standing at a sliding door of the residence armed with a rifle and wearing what appeared to be a ballistic helmet and a gas mask,” according to a Sept. 27 Vancouver police statement.
The Vancouver police officer then fired one shot, killing Williams, according to the major crimes team.
No one else was injured in the shooting.
Two Vancouver police officers were placed on critical incident leave: the officer who shot Williams and the officer in the front seat of the armored vehicle when the windshield shattered, Vancouver police said.
The major crimes team said in its Thursday statement that investigators have interviewed witnesses and are reviewing body-worn camera video, drone video, dash-camera video and video from neighboring homes. A family liaison and two non-law enforcement community representatives have been assigned to the investigation.
