Mary Lee Andison’s medical condition improved to stable on Monday in a Portland hospital after she was shot Friday by a SWAT officer.
Andison, 60, 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 Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputies she wanted them to shoot her. The standoff lasted more than three hours.
Sgt. Scott Schanaker, a sheriff’s spokesman, on Monday described Andison as in stable condition at Portland’s Legacy Emanuel Medical Center. Her condition previously been described as critical. He said the hospital would not provide additional information.
When reached by The Columbian, officials at Legacy Emanuel said they had no information on Andison.
The name of the officer who shot Andison has not been released, common practice immediately following police shootings. Schanaker said he expected to talk to major crimes detectives later Monday about what additional information could be released, and when.
Sheriff’s deputies also have not commented on the make and model of the handgun Andison pointed at them, whether it was a harmless starter pistol as she said, and, if so, whether SWAT officers reasonably could have seen for sure that it was a starter pistol.
For unknown reasons, starter pistols are made to closely resemble a wide variety of real pistols, old and modern, revolvers and semiautomatics. Some starter handguns have orange tips meant to show they shoot blanks, not real bullets.
The incident 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.”
Once an investigation into the standoff has been completed, reports will be turned over to Clark County Prosecutor Tony Golik, who can decide whether criminal charges should be filed.
The sheriff’s office will conduct an internal affairs review to determine whether officers followed protocol during the incident.
