When a Camas man was released from jail after posting bail, his former neighborhood was still reeling from the police standoff and gunfire that erupted there two weeks prior. Neighbors feared for their safety. Parents kept their kids home from nearby schools. And many sought answers from the police department.
Camas Police Chief Tina Jones convened a listening session Nov. 26 in a meeting room at the Camas Church of the Nazarene. The church sits kitty-corner from the house where, on the night of Nov. 13, a Clark County sheriff’s deputy shot Patrick Wetzel.
Jones’ goal with last week’s meeting, she said, was to share what she could and dispel some rumors.
“People are hearing pieces, sometimes from friends or social media,” Jones said. “It’s difficult sometimes when there’s a level of fear in the community and especially when, like in this case, someone makes bail and then the community is kind of reeling — like, what now?”
Law enforcement from multiple agencies had responded to the 2300 block of Everett Street for reports of gunshots. Investigators said Wetzel, 41, was violating a domestic violence no-contact order that prohibited him from being at his estranged wife’s house. They said Wetzel later pointed a gun at an armored SWAT vehicle before the deputy fired three shots at Wetzel, who was seated in his SUV in the house’s driveway.
Wetzel was treated at a hospital before he was booked into the Clark County Jail on a slew of charges. Shortly after his first court appearance, he posted bond, was fitted with a GPS ankle monitor and released from custody.
Jones’ department fielded messages from community members as word spread that Wetzel was no longer in custody. But the chief said she knew there were likely many more people who shared the concerns of those who reached out. She decided she would go to them.
The chief told the dozens of people who attended the meeting that she couldn’t share some information. Her office was investigating Wetzel’s conduct and prior police contacts with him, while the Washington State Patrol was investigating the legality of the shooting. She said she couldn’t answer questions about that agency’s work. She also couldn’t share all of the details of the Camas investigation, she said, for fear of jeopardizing that case.
Jones said her approach following this incident would’ve been different if it had been a Camas police officer who shot Wetzel.
When an officer fires their gun at someone, state law dictates that officer’s agency can’t be involved in the investigation into the shooting. Beyond an initial statement and release of body camera video, any information about the investigation must come from the independent team investigating the shooting.
Sheriff’s office spokesman Sgt. Chris Skidmore said the Camas Police Department was in a unique position following the Nov. 13 shooting, because it happened in Camas but didn’t involve a Camas police officer. The department was not then bound by the restrictions on an involved agency sharing information.
Jones noted during the forum that Camas police’s small ranks meant officers called for help Nov. 13 from the sheriff’s office and Vancouver police. Her agency, Jones said, does not have the equipment, like armored SWAT vehicles and drones, that those agencies possess.
Jones said it can be frustrating when agencies aren’t allowed to answer questions. On the other hand, Jones said she also knows how important it is to have a thorough, complete investigation that either clears officers of wrongdoing or holds them accountable for breaking the law.
“It’s definitely a tedious process, and I feel like it’s often not designed in a way that helps the community, in the moment, when there’s trauma,” Jones said. “It’s also often not helpful for the officer involved and their families. … They often also want the information out a lot sooner.”
Camas is fortunate, she said, that high-profile incidents of violence like the Nov. 13 shooting aren’t commonplace in the city of roughly 27,000 people. But, that means when those incidents do happen, it can quickly rattle residents’ sense of safety, she said.
“I think when something happens, when people experience fear or uncertainty, it can breed distrust, and I don’t want that to happen in our community,” Jones said.
She said the reception of last week’s forum was mixed. Some approached her after the meeting to tell her they appreciated the information she provided. But others told her they didn’t feel any safer.
“That’s hard to hear,” she said. “We’re not superhuman. We can’t just wave a wand and wish away all the fears in the world and ensure safety 100 percent. We have limitations in what we can do.”
In addition to answering questions, Jones said she hoped the forum could be an opportunity for people to meet each other. The chief shook many residents’ hands as they walked in for the meeting and took down contact information for the schools. Knowing your neighbors and officials, Jones said, can bolster the overall sense of security.
“I feel like there’s power in information and relationships,” she said. “It’s important to have an opportunity to share with people that I care, our team cares, we’re human beings, and we care a lot about the safety of our community.”
