Investigative team completes probe of fatal police shooting in east Vancouver

The SW Washington Independent Investigative Response Team has completed its investigation into the fatal shooting of Kfin Karuo by Clark County sheriff’s deputies and forwarded the case to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office for review.

Clark County Prosecutor Tony Golik said Monday he plans to request a panel of outside prosecutors, through the Washington Association of Prosecuting Attorneys, to review the case and help assess whether the deputies’ actions were legally justified.

The Vancouver Police Department, which led the investigation into the Oct. 17 fatal shooting, was tracking Karuo, 28, in the weeks before the shooting in an alleged assault case.

He was wanted for allegedly pointing a handgun at a man in a Sept. 29 incident caught on a dashboard camera.

Investigators said deputies were attempting to stop Karuo in connection with the alleged assault in east Vancouver. After he allegedly refused to stop and later pointed a gun at deputies, two of them fatally shot him.

In addition to forwarding the case to prosecutors, investigators gave a briefing to Clark County Sheriff’s Office administration and community members assigned to the investigation, according to the Monday update.