CLARK COUNTY, Wash. — Clark County Sheriff's Office deputies shot and killed a man during a welfare check at a home in the Brush Prairie area early Tuesday morning, according to a news release later that day from the sheriff's office. Brush Prairie is an unincorporated part of Clark County between east Vancouver and Battle Ground.
On Friday, the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office identified the man who was shot and killed as 53-year-old Jonathan Gale of Brush Prairie. The medical examiner's office reported that his manner and cause of death was homicide by multiple gunshot wounds to the torso.
The deputies responded shortly after midnight when a woman called 911 to report that she was concerned about her mother's safety. After they arrived, another woman at the location told the deputies that the victim was being held against her will and had been sexually assaulted by a man in the residence, according to a subsequent news release on Friday. She also told them the man had a firearm.
The deputies tried to detain the man at the scene, according to the first news release, but he "produced what appeared to be a firearm," and the officers shot him. The news release did not directly say how many deputies were at the scene or how many of them fired at the man, but did say that five deputies had been placed on Critical Incident Leave.
No deputies were injured, according to the news release, but it did not say whether the man fired at the deputies or whether the man was later confirmed to have been holding a firearm. The deputies immediately began providing life-saving aid, but the man was pronounced dead by fire department personnel.
The second news release said investigators searching the property found "firearms in close proximity to the male," but did not clarify if he had been holding a firearm during the confrontation or fired at the deputies.
Neighbors told KGW they heard gunshots, which they mistook for fireworks. They didn't want to go on-camera, but said they were shocked that the shooting happened in their neighborhood. Now, they are considering no longer going on daily walks or runs.
The female victim was taken to a hospital for evaluation, according to the news release. The sheriff's office did not release any further information about the situation that prompted the welfare check or the condition of the woman.
The Southwest Washington Independent Investigation Team, led by the Vancouver Police Department, will investigate the shooting, without involvement from any sheriff's office personnel.
Each of the deputies was wearing a body-worn camera during the incident, and the sheriff's office said video of the incident will be released at a later time.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.