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Woman shot by police in critical condition

Investigation slated to decide charges

By Stephanie Rice
Published: June 25, 2011, 5:00pm

Mary Lee Andison was listed in critical condition Saturday in a Portland hospital after being shot Friday by a SWAT officer.

A spokesman for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Saturday it was Andison, 60, who was shot at the home she and her husband, Dr. Bruce Andison, a longtime Vancouver gynecologist, own south of Ridgefield.

Andison reportedly claimed she only had a starter pistol, but allegedly pointed the gun at officers and walked toward them.

Andison, who was seen at one point with a bottle of wine in her other hand, allegedly told deputies she wanted them to shoot her.

Sgt. Scott Schanaker said Andison was in critical condition at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center.

Legacy Emanuel, which has a trauma center, defines “critical” condition on its website as: “Vital signs are unstable or outside normal limits. There are major complications.”

Officers first tried to negotiate with Andison.

Schanaker again Saturday declined to name the officer who shot Andison, as typical immediately following police shootings.

He said the office’s Major Crimes Unit was investigating the incident, which began at approximately 1 p.m. Friday when deputies responded to the Andison residence, 20404 N.W. 61st Ave. in the Fairgrounds Neighborhood.

Family members had requested deputies check on a female described as “despondent/suicidal.”

Schanaker said Saturday once the investigation has been completed, reports will be turned over to Clark County Prosecutor Tony Golik, who can decide whether criminal charges should be filed.

Schanaker said the sheriff’s office will have an internal affairs review to determine whether officers followed protocol during the incident, which lasted more than three hours.

According to a family member who called The Columbian on Friday trying to find out more information, Andison has a starter pistol that she used to scare off birds. Her husband reportedly owns hunting rifles and shotguns but no handguns.

Schanaker’s Friday bulletin said the Southwest Washington Regional SWAT Team was called out “due to the presence of the revolver and confirmation of numerous other weapons inside the residence.”

Andison was in a bonus room above the home’s three-car garage, which is separate from the main residence.

In the Friday bulletin, Schanker wrote that after “approximately three and a half hours of phone contact and attempted negotiations with the female, SWAT operators inserted a camera through a second-story window in attempt to have a visual of the female. The female immediately responded to this by exiting the room and advanced directly at SWAT operators as she pointed the revolver at them. A single SWAT operator fired on the female, stopping the threat. No officers or deputies were injured.”

Stephanie Rice: 360-735-4508 or stephanie.rice@columbian.com or www.facebook.com/reporterrice.

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