A Vancouver man is accused of shooting at a convenience store clerk in May in downtown Vancouver after the clerk refused to serve his companion.
Triston M. Brock, 22, appeared Sept. 16 in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree assault. His bail was set at $500,000, and he is scheduled to be arraigned Friday, court records show.
At 12:30 a.m. May 23, a man entered the Plaid Pantry at 514 Washington St., and attempted to buy beer. The clerk denied the man service because he was making rude and vulgar comments to other customers, according to a probable cause affidavit. The man left and went to his vehicle.
Another man, later identified as Brock, then exited the vehicle, entered the store and confronted the clerk. The clerk described Brock as extremely upset and said he was swearing at him, court records state.
The clerk told police that Brock said, “We either fight, I shoot you or you call the police.” The clerk said Brock also reached into his jacket multiple times, and he believed Brock was going to pull out a gun and shoot him, the affidavit states.
The clerk pushed a product display shelf toward Brock. Brock then pulled out a gun from his jacket and pointed it at the clerk, according to court records.
Vancouver police said video surveillance captured the two men struggling before the clerk was able to force Brock out of the store. When the clerk walked away from the door, Brock fired a single round toward him. The bullet entered a glass window, almost directly behind the clerk but did not hit him, the affidavit states.
Brock and his companion then drove away from the store, court records state. The clerk hid in the bathroom and called 911.
Police found a spent shell casing, according to the affidavit.
On Sept. 15, officers pulled Brock over near W Street and East Mill Plain Boulevard and searched his truck. Detectives found a 9 mm pistol in a fanny pack on the front seat. The caliber matched the spent shell casing found at the store, court records state.
During an interview with police, Brock allegedly admitted to shooting at the clerk and said he intended to hurt him. Detectives said Brock told them the pistol found in his truck was the one he used to shoot at the clerk, the affidavit states.
