CAMAS, Wash. — A deputy with the Clark County Sheriff's Office shot a man outside a home during a standoff in Camas on Wednesday night. It happened after gunshots were reported in the area, and the sheriff's office said it believes the man had a no-contact order that prohibited him from being at the home.
Around 10:01 p.m., multiple residents in the area of Northeast Everett Street and and Northeast 23rd Avenue called 911 to report hearing gunshots. Emergency dispatch received more calls over the next 30 minutes. Camas police, Vancouver police, Washougal police and the Clark County Sheriff's Office all responded.
"I was sitting in my living room and next thing I heard a shot," neighbor Ashleigh Valenzuela told KGW. She, her husband and her four kids were all at home. "My kids thought fireworks. I said, 'No, that's not fireworks' ... Probably five minutes later I heard a second one. Five minutes after that I heard a third one."
Law enforcement deployed an "unmanned aircraft system" around 10:37 p.m. and found the man outside a home. They learned that the man was believed to have a no-contact order that restricted him from being at the home or having firearms, according to the Clark County Sheriff's Office.
"I know the husband, or ex-husband, was a little bit troubled," said Valenzuela.
At some point, the man went into a vehicle in the driveway of the home, and around 11:03 p.m., law enforcement used an armored vehicle to try to communicate with him. As this happened, a deputy shot the man, the Clark County Sheriff's Office said. No one else was injured.
The man was taken to a hospital. The Clark County Sheriff's Office has not released any information about his condition and have not identified him.
"It was a little bit chaotic," Valenzuela said. "I've lived here for my whole life, and this isn't Camas."
The deputy who shot the man has been placed on leave, which is standard protocol. The deputy has not been named.
Northeast Everett Street was closed between Northeast 22nd Avenue to Northeast 23rd Avenue for the investigation.
"We do have a crime scene up there, or an area that's being investigated at this moment," said Washington State Patrol Trooper Will Finn. "So once that has been completed on site there, that will be opened back up, but I don't have a time frame at this point."
The Southwest Washington Independent Investigation Team, led by the Washington State Patrol, is investigating the deputy shooting.
"Obviously this is a very dynamic situation, and it's going to be ongoing," Finn added. "It's going to be a while before we can put all the pieces together."
Body-worn camera footage from the deputies who responded to the incident will be released at a later time, the Clark County Sheriff's Office said.