VANCOUVER, Wash. — An armed man was shot and killed early Friday morning by a Vancouver police officer after a multi-hour standoff, the Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) and Vancouver Police Department (VPD) reported.
According to law enforcement, the man threatened a neighbor, shot into the air multiple times, and fired a rifle numerous times at deputies and armored vehicles. A SWAT team was called out and the neighborhood was ordered to shelter in place during the standoff.
Multiple people in the area called 911 starting at around 11:11 p.m. Thursday. One caller said a neighbor was armed and aggressively threatening another neighbor, and had used a knife to slash several tires on the other neighbor's vehicles. Another caller said they thought the armed neighbor had shot a gun into the air.
After deputies arrived, they deployed a police drone, which showed that the suspect was armed and moving around the property. Because the man was armed, deputies used an armored vehicle to approach the home. Deputies contacted the man by phone but he refused to cooperate and threatened to shoot at the deputies, CCSO reported.
Around 12:45 a.m., the suspect fired into the air. Deputies made contact via phone with two women inside the man's home, who were able to leave. Deputies then heard several more shots fired.
Via drone camera, deputies saw that the man grabbed a rifle from his garage, after which he fired several more rounds. At 1 a.m., deputies tried to communicate with him from the armored vehicle. After about 20 minutes of attempted communication, the man fired several times at the armored vehicle with the rifle.
The Southwest Washington Regional SWAT Team was activated at 1:24 a.m. More armored vehicles set up around the home to establish a perimeter. Law enforcement said it looked like the man was setting up barricaded shooting positions inside the home; according to Vancouver police, he was wearing what looked like a ballistic helmet and a gas mask. The man fired several more times at the armored vehicles and law enforcement said they believe he also fired at surrounding homes. One of the shots struck and damaged the windshield of one of the armored vehicles.
Neighboring residents were told by loudspeaker to shelter in place and emergency alerts were sent out to residents in the area.
At 2:29 a.m., SWAT began to deploy resources, CCSO said. One of the SWAT officers, a member of the Vancouver Police Department, shot the man at 2:36 a.m. The man was later pronounced dead, law enforcement said.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted at 2:58 a.m.
No officers or deputies were injured.
Investigation into the shooting
Two Vancouver Police Department officers have been placed on critical incident leave: the officer who shot the man and an officer who was inside the armed vehicle when the windshield was struck by the rifle shot.
The Vancouver Police Department said the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team, led by the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, will conduct an independent investigation into the officer-involved shooting. Video from body-worn cameras will be reviewed for release at a later time, the Vancouver Police Department reported.
The name of the man who was shot and killed has been identified as 56-year-old Michael D. William, according to the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office. William died of a gunshot wound to the neck, the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office said.
The name of the officer who shot the man will be released at a later date by the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team.
No personnel from the Vancouver Police Department or Clark County Sheriff's Office will be involved in the investigation.
The case will be forwarded to the Clark County Prosecutor's Office for review after the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team completes its investigation.