A Vancouver police officer fatally shot a man on Saturday afternoon near the Columbia River waterfront after responding to a call about an aggressive dog who had bitten at least one person.
The dog’s owner pointed what appeared to be a firearm at two officers as they approached him, according to a Vancouver Police Department news release.
The officers were dispatched to the 100 block of Southeast Columbia Way just east of the Interstate 5 Bridge at about 1:45 p.m. Saturday. A caller reported a man was letting his German shepherd run loose, and the dog had bitten at least one person. The caller also said the man appeared to have a firearm and was walking on a trail near the Columbia River.
Officers located the man and his dog near Columbia Way and Columbia Street, according to the press release.
After the dog owner pointed what appeared to be a firearm at the officers, one of the officers shot the man. He was pronounced dead at the scene near West 4th Street and Columbia Street.
The name of the man will be released later by the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office, according to the news release.
The names of the officers have not been released. As standard in police shootings, the officers are now on critical incident leave.
The German shepherd was secured to a large garbage bin because it remained aggressive after its owner was shot and was subsequently taken to the Humane Society for Southwest Washington.
One person notified dispatch they were seeking medical treatment from bite wounds.
The SW Washington Independent Investigation Response Team, led by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, will investigate the shooting. Video footage from the officers’ body-worn cameras will be released at a later time.
