Detective’s son, 3, dies after accidental shooting

Garry Lucas, Clark County Sheriff learned late last evening that the 3-year old child of a deputy was involved in an accidental shooting incident at a residence in the city of Battle Ground. The Battle Ground Police Department, Vancouver Police Department and Clark County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Team is investigating the incident. All information indicates that the shooting was accidental and inquiries with regard to the investigation should be directed to the Battle Ground Police Department.

The Sheriff’s Office is no stranger to tragedy, and took significant steps to ensure that appropriate firearms storage policies and procedures are in place following the very tragic death of Emily Randall in 2003.

The Sheriff’s Office firearms storage policy recognizes the Constitutional right of citizens to keep and maintain firearms. Policy mandates the safe storage of department issued weapons, and encourages employees to use safe storage techniques for any personally owned firearms as well.

The Sheriff’s Office identifies acceptable safe storage techniques including the use of gun safes, gun lockers, trigger locks and cables, locked gun cases, vehicle mounted locking devices and other locked containers when a firearm is not in the employees immediate possession.

The Sheriff’s Office provides employees who are issued department weapons a locking gun safe, for use in their residence.

While the circumstances of this particular case are not known at this time, this is a tragedy for the family involved and for the greater department family. We are hopeful that the media will be sensitive to the emotion created by this event and that they will respect the privacy of those involved.

This event also emphasizes the risk inherent with firearms and we encourage anyone who possesses a firearm to ensure that it is safely secured.

The 3-year-old son of a Clark County Sheriff’s detective died early today after he accidentally shot himself in the head a few hours earlier, according to a news bulletin issued by the Battle Ground Police Department.

Ryan Owens, son of Eddie and Kristie Owens, died at 2 a.m.

His father was off-duty and home at the time. It is unclear how the child obtained the gun.

Officials say the gun was not Owens’ service weapon, which is required to be kept in a lock box when at home.

The shooting was first reported at about 10 p.m. Tuesday at their home in the 800 block of Southeast 11th Street in Battle Ground.

The boy was treated at Legacy Emanuel Hospital in Portland, but died about four hours after the accident.

Detectives with the Major Crimes Unit of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office were notified immediately. The case is being investigated jointly by detectives with the Battle Ground Police Department, Sheriff’s Office and Vancouver Police Department, officials said in a bulletin.

There was little activity outside the home Wednesday morning, except the TV news trucks parked about a block from the home. A sheriff’s vehicle was parked in front of the home.

The case is similar to one several years ago involving the death of a sheriff’s sergeant’s child. After that, Clark County Sheriff Garry Lucas issued the policy requiring deputies to keep their guns in a lock box.