SCAPPOOSE, Ore. — A man was shot and killed by law enforcement at a tow yard in Scappoose on Thursday morning, according to the Washington County Sheriff's Office (WCSO).
The man was identified Friday as 39-year-old Michael Stockton, a suspect in a deadly shooting that occurred four days earlier at a Gresham storage facility.
WCSO detective Shannon Wilde said law enforcement was called out to Grumpy's Towing, located at 53279 Columbia River Highway in Scappoose, just before 10 a.m. Thursday for a "disturbance."
The first to arrive on scene were an Oregon State trooper and a Columbia County deputy. WCSO said Stockton shot at the officers. Both of them returned fire, killing the suspect.
Erik Tyler, a witness who works at a neighboring business, spoke to KGW's Mike Benner about what he heard.
"It was quick, at first I thought it was someone working on a house with nail guns," Tyler said. "And then I realized my wife was out front and I had my dogs and I heard, 'pop, pop, pop,' and I realized it was guns. ... I got everyone inside, we laid low for a little bit, waited for the cops to come tell us we're alright."
Tyler said he heard police yell out multiple times to put down a weapon or they would use force and shoot.
Investigators later confirmed that Stockton had two firearms in his possession at the time of the shooting. A law enforcement official told KGW he was a suspect in the March 27 shooting death of 25-year-old Timothy Fowlkes at the Money Saver Mini Storage facility near Northeast Halsey Street and 192nd Avenue.
The WCSO Major Crimes Team is investigating the shooting.
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