A review by the county prosecutor’s office of a June 2017 bank robbery where police shot and killed the suspected robber found the three officers involved acted lawfully.
Centralia’s David W. Hamilton, 50, was shot and killed following a bank robbery reported at the iQ Credit Union branch at 15705 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd. on the afternoon of June 6.
The robber, later identified as Hamilton, entered wearing a ski mask and wielding a semi-automatic rifle, according to police.
Hamilton left the credit union and got in a white Volvo, drove to a nearby Safeway parking lot, hopped in a purple Nissan parked there, and drove away.
After Hamilton led officers on a short chase, they ran him off the road near the intersection of Northeast 182nd Avenue and 73rd Street.
Hamilton and the pursuing officers then exchanged gunfire, according to police, and Hamilton was killed.
After interviews with the three officers involved, the review from the prosecutor’s office said that Hamilton opened his car door and opened fire soon after officers ran him off the road.
Vancouver police officers Erik Jennings, James Burgara and Richard Rich all returned fire.
“Each of the officers stated when they fired, they believed they had no other choice than to fire their weapons at Hamilton,” County Prosecuting Attorney Tony Golik wrote in the review. “They believed if they did not shoot, they or a fellow officer would be killed.”
Detectives with the Clark County Major Crimes Team examined the scene, according to the prosecutor’s office review, and found two .308 caliber casings. A forensic evaluation found the casings matched Hamilton’s rifle.
Detectives also found bullet holes in Burgara’s vehicle.
As part of the investigation, detectives also spoke to Hamilton’s ex-wife, her brother and a friend. According to the review, they told detectives Hamilton held strong-anti government beliefs, and he spoke about committing a robbery before the shooting, specifically robbing a bank wearing a ski mask and armed with a rifle.
They also told detectives that Hamilton had said that he would not allow himself to be arrested or taken to jail if caught, and would end his life or try shooting back at police.
“The evidence is clear in this case that involved officers had a very reasonable fear that if they did not fire at David Hamilton, Hamilton would kill one or all of them with his rifle,” Golik wrote, adding the evidence supports a finding that the three officers acted reasonably and lawfully.
