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On 12/04/2022 at about 2349 hours, Deputy Weed located a stolen vehicle traveling in the area of NE Andresen Road and NE 40^th Street. 

Deputy Weed attempted to conduct a traffic stop on the vehicle by activating his overhead lights and siren. 

The vehicle eluded recklessly and failed to comply with the traffic stop.       

While eluding the traffic stop attempt, the driver failed to negotiate an eastbound turn at NE 40^th Street and NE 66^th Avenue.  The vehicle went off the roadway and collided with a sign. 

Deputy Weed observed the driver emerge from the vehicle and run from the scene. 

Deputy Weed gave chase on foot and successfully apprehended the driver.  The driver refused to identify himself to police.  He was positively identified as James Mcauley (33-year-old) by law enforcement with prior familiarity.

Mcauley was found to be in possession of several hundred Fentanyl pills and Methamphetamine. 

Mcauley was booked into the Clark County Jail for Possession of a Stolen Vehicle, Attempt to Elude, and Possession of Controlled Substances.

The Vancouver Police Department assisted with the investigation. 

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On December 3rd at about 3:05 pm, deputies responded to the Alderbrook Apartments located at 9500 NE 19th Ave on reports of a disturbance where a gunshot was heard.  Witnesses described a suspect who was seen to be armed with a handgun in the parking lot.  The suspect was seen leaving the complex in grey Hyundai as responding deputies were arriving.  Other deputies at the scene radioed that probable cause to arrest the suspect for Assault in the Fourth Degree (DV) and firearms charges existed.  The deputy following the suspect attempted to stop the vehicle and a short pursuit began.  The vehicle came to a stop on NE 91st St and NE 21st Ave when the driver pulled to the curb.

The deputy who initiated the stop was able to get his vehicle into position and he exited his vehicle to be able to call out to the driver.  Other deputies, as well as officers from other agencies, arrived and soon commands were given to the driver.  The driver did not respond.  Emergency dispatchers began making notifications to area residents to stay inside their homes.

An armored vehicle and an Unmanned Arial System (UAS) were brought to the scene.  The UAS was able to position right outside the driver's window (see attached photo) and the UAS operator reported that suspect appeared to be deceased from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Deputies moved up and confirmed the observations made by the UAS operator.  Deputies were able to recover the suspect's firearm and medics confirmed the suspect was deceased.  Some of the deceased's family were aware of the circumstances and a member of the family was provided information at the scene.  The Medical Examiner's office was notified, and they have assumed control of the death investigation.

Names of all persons involved are being withheld at this time.     

Seized items

At around 1:00AM on November 28^th, 2022, a Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy was conducting patrol around the U-Haul located at 82^nd Street and NE Highway 99 in Clark County.  He noticed a vehicle parked out front of the storage building occupied by a male and female.  The deputy recognized the male in the driver’s seat as a suspect in a previous incident where the suspect eluded law enforcement in a vehicle.  Upon seeing the deputy, the suspect quickly entered the large storage building.  Responding deputies contained the building.  The suspect tried to escape through a rear exit but was discouraged when he saw deputies.  He went back inside the storage unit and was ultimately arrested for an outstanding arrest warrant and a previous charge of attempt to elude law enforcement.  The deputy continued his investigation with assistance from a Clark County Sheriff’s Detective from the Drug Task Force and a Vancouver Police K9 Unit.  The K9 alerted on a storage unit believed to be associated with the suspect.  After additional investigation, a search warrant was obtained and executed on the storage unit.  Deputies recovered firearms, four of which were stolen.  Ammunition and ballistic style body armor.  Nearly a quarter pound of suspected Methamphetamine and over 2,500 suspected Fentanyl pills.  The suspect, 35-year-old Dylan J. Anderson, was booked on an outstanding misdemeanor arrest warrant, attempt to elude, six counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, four counts of possessing a stolen firearm, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. 

In June of 2022, Executive Staff of the Moose Lodge Chapter 2423 (Dollars Corner) found discrepancies in accounts related to the internal workings of the Lodge.  Staff reported their suspicions related to the discrepancies to the Clark County Sheriff's Office and patrol deputies began to investigate.  Working closely with Chapter staff and representatives from the National Lodge and the Washington State Gambling commission, patrol deputies continued to investigate though the summer.  On December 1, 2022, patrol deputies arrested and booked 72-year-old, James Patrick Seefried for Theft in the First Degree.  Seefried is a former staff member for the Dollar's Corner Chapter.

The Moose Lodge is an international, fraternal organization, that provides service to the communities where its chapters are located.  The theft in this case, just over $30,000, represents a significant loss the to the chapter and impacts its ability to provide donations to the groups it serves.  Additionally, this case represents the continued commitment of Clark County Sheriff's Office Deputies to providing service to the residents of Clark County.

This case is still being investigated and no further information will be provided pending additional court proceedings.             

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On November 25, 2022, employees of a 7-11 store in Hazel Dell reported a subject had applied a card reader skimmer to the card reader located at the register.  Deputies arrived and retrieved the item as well as evidence related to the suspect's activities at the store.  The item will be submitted for forensic processing and deputies will follow-up on any leads obtained from the device. Refer to the attached photos.

A short time later a second 7-11 store in Orchards reported the same type of device had been applied to their card reader machine.  Deputies were able to determine that the same suspect applied the device at both locations. Identifying information for the suspect will be released at a later time.

The Clark County Sheriff's Office would like to thank the 7-11 employees who were vigilant in checking their equipment following some suspicious activity and likely preventing additional people from being victimized.  Sheriff's deputies would like to talk to anyone who discovers that their financial information has been compromised following a visit to a 7-11 store.  The Sheriff's Office would also like to remind citizens to be very careful where they use bank cards and point out any suspicious looking card reader equipment to the employees of the location where the equipment might be located.      

On November 22nd, 2022 at 08:23 Clark County Sheriff was dispatched to Heritage High School at 7825 NE 130th Ave, regarding seven students being shot within the school.  The caller claimed to be a teacher inside the school.  The first Deputy was inside the school within two minutes of the call being dispatched, within another 40 seconds five more Deputies had arrived along with numerous law enforcement from other jurisdictions.  Within two minutes of Deputies arriving, it was determined there was no incident at the school and the call was a prank. 

The Sheriff's Office thanks all the surrounding agencies who quickly responded to the call, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency who quickly and accurately processed and dispatched the information, as well as Heritage Staff and Administration who were prepared and worked seamlessly with arriving first responders.  

The incident was very high stress and was quickly resolved due to the first responding Deputy previously being assigned as a School Resource Officer at Heritage.  This incident illustrates the need for Law Enforcement who are assigned to the security of our schools in Clark County.  School Resource Officers were removed from unincorporated Clark County Schools in 2020 when school campuses were closed due to the pandemic.

Clark County Sheriff is investigating the origin of the call.  Initial investigations show the caller had a similar accent and speaking style as the false school shooting report at Henrietta Lacks High School on September 16th, 2022 in Vancouver, WA. 

On November 20th at approximately 2 PM, missing endangered person Halie Oana was found safe.  Clark County Sheriff's Office appreciates the assistance from the community to help this situation be resolved.

Halie Oana

Clark County, Wash. – On Nov 19, 2022 at approximately 2300hrs, Clark County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to a report of a missing teenager, Haile Oana, 18 years of age, 5’6” with a thin build and long dark hair.  Halie was last seen in the Orchards area near the 10900 block of NE 124th Ave at around 5:30pm on 11/19/22 wearing blue jeans and a white tank top. Family reported Halie is special needs with a speech delay.  Attempts to locate her have not been successful. 

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Halie is asked to contact 911 and reference Clark County Sheriff's Office case 22-10607.

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Update:

Shelly Young Boutte was located safe by Puyallup Police.  The Clark County Sheriff's Office would like to thank everyone for their assistance in locating her.  

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Clark County, Wash. – On Nov 18, 2022, Clark County Sheriff's Office Deputies responded to a report of a missing person, Shelly Young Boutte, 64 years of age, 4’10”, 130 lbs, with short curly black hair and brown eyes.  Shelly was last seen in the Vancouver area at around 1100 on 11/18/22. Family reported she may be in crisis and suffering from memory loss.  Shelly is believed to be driving a red 2022 Honda CRV SUV with WA plate CDY8754 and could be in the Yelm/Thurston County area.  Attempts to locate her have not been successful and a Silver Alert has been requested. 

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Shelly Young Boutte is asked to contact 911.

On Thursday, November 17^th, at approximately 7:36pm, Ridgefield Police and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office responded to a residential burglary in progress at a home near W 15^th Street and Pacific Highway in La Center.  The homeowner was alerted by their security cameras to an unknown male subject in their home.  The suspect smashed the rear sliding glass door to gain entry.  He then proceeded to take jewelry and other valuables before exiting.  A neighbor observed what was taking place and attempted to follow the suspect as he left in a silver-colored sedan.  Due to the suspect’s reckless driving, the neighbor was unable to follow. 

Less than a minute later, 911 received calls that a silver sedan went off the roadway at NW Pacific Highway and W 10^th Street.  The male driver was observed walking away from the collision scene.  With assistance from a Battle Ground Police K9 Unit, a track was completed.  While the track was ongoing, the burglary investigation revealed the suspect left behind evidence to assist law enforcement in identifying him. Detectives with the Sheriff’s Office Tactical Detective Unit identified forty-five-year-old Christopher T. Gaetaniello as a possible suspect.  A photograph of Gaetaniello was obtained for officers on scene.  Additionally, Gaetaniello had an active felony warrant for his arrest.

At approximately 8:59pm, a deputy observed a male matching Gaetaniello’s description walking toward the Chevron in La Center.  He was detained without incident and positively identified to be Gaetaniello. Keys in his possession linked him to the vehicle collision.  Gaetaniello was interviewed by detectives and ultimately booked into the Clark County Jail on charges of Residential Burglary, Theft 1^st Degree, Malicious Mischief 2^nd Degree, and a U.S. Marshals warrant. 

What could have been a simple traffic stop, Tuesday evening, resulted in a driver spending the night in jail – and facing felony charges – for attempting to elude a Clark County Sheriff's Deputy. 

At around 6:50pm, 18-year-old Ashveer Sandhu, of Vancouver, performed a U-turn on NE 119th St near BiZi Farms and then spun the tires on his Cadillac ATS-V, right in front of a fully-marked Clark County Sheriff's Office patrol car. Sandhu was then observed driving over 90mph in a 35mph zone, southbound on NE 87th Ave. The blue lights on the patrol car activated, signaling Sandhu to pull-over so the Sheriff's Deputy could speak with him about traffic safety. Instead, Sandhu sped away, driving over 100mph in the 35mph zone, into Five Corners. The Deputy pulled-over in accordance with Washington State Law and Department Policy regarding vehicle pursuits. 

Unfortunately for Sandhu, he was spotted by another law enforcement officer a short time later. With the assistance of the Washington State Patrol, CCSO Deputies took Sandhu into custody without incident on the off-ramp to NE 219th St from I-5. After his arrest, Sandhu told investigators he “panicked” when he saw the lights. He was booked into the Clark County Jail for Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle. 

Year-to-date, the Clark County Sheriff's Office has experienced about 340 motorists refusing to stop for Deputies performing traffic enforcement. Attempting to Elude a Police Vehicle is a Class C Felony in the State of Washington. CCSO Deputies continue to perform traffic enforcement and will attempt to locate and contact drivers who refuse to stop. 

On 11/13/22 at approximately 1530 hours, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office along with Battle Ground Police Department, responded to a report of a disturbance with a weapon at a residence in northern Clark County off NE Fern Drive and NE Columbia Tie Rd. It was reported to 911 dispatch a person had been shot at the residence following some type of verbal altercation. The 911 caller, 66-year-old Todd Spencer, told the call taker he had shot 30-year-old Donovan Pulver-Downing. 

Life Flight air ambulance was activated by Clark County Fire District 10 and North Country EMS personnel. On arrival of law enforcement, Spencer was detained without incident. Law enforcement then located a male, Pulver-Downing, inside the house with gunshot wounds.  Pulver-Downing was provided emergency first aid by law enforcement before transferring care to North Country EMS. Pulver-Downing was then transported via Life Flight to an area hospital for medical care.

Clark County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit (MCU) responded to investigate the incident further. It was determined that Pulver-Downing and Spencer are in-laws, and both reside at the residence. A verbal dispute over a vehicle lead to an armed confrontation where it appeared both subjects had firearms. The confrontation escalated and resulted in Spencer discharging a firearm striking Pulver-Downing. It appeared Spencer may have acted in self-defense. 

MCU remained on-scene for several hours interviewing other family members and witnesses. Search warrants were executed with evidence and firearms seized. 

At the time of this release, Downing is expected to survive his injuries. This case is actively being investigated by MCU.

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Jason Tester (22), of Vancouver, was arrested Sunday evening, in Battle Ground, after he refused to pull over for a Clark County Sheriff's Office patrol vehicle which was attempting to stop him. 

A Sergeant from the Clark County Sheriff's Office attempted to stop Tester near the intersection of NE 119th St and NE 117th Ave after observing him speeding 24mph over the posted speed limit in a white Mazda pickup around 6:48pm. Tester refused to pull over and continued to drive the speed limit, obeying all traffic laws, for about 5 miles. A tactical vehicle intervention was used to immobilize Tester's vehicle at the intersection of SE Eaton Blvd and SE Grace Ave in Battle Ground, where he was taken into custody. 

Tester told deputies he wanted to drop his dog off at a relative's house before stopping for police because he didn't know why he was being pulled-over. He was booked into the Clark County Jail for charges including Failing to Obey a Police Officer and Resisting Arrest, as well as multiple outstanding arrest warrants related to similar previous traffic offenses. 

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On 11/10/2022 at approximately 0422 hours, Clark County Sheriff's Office Deputies were dispatched to Orchards Cannabis Market located at 11800 NE 65^th Street for an audible alarm. 

The first arriving Deputy on scene observed a 2020 White Toyota Tundra in the building. The Tundra appeared to have reversed through the front doors and into the store. At that point, the Deputy suspected this was an active Burglary in Progress and waited for additional units to respond prior to approaching the building. At the time, only five deputies and one sergeant were on duty, three of which were responding from the hazel dell area. 

While the first arriving Deputy waited for additional units, they observed two subjects run westbound from inside the store towards Highway 503 on NE 65^th Street. The Deputy on scene advised responding units of this. Shortly after, responding deputies located both subjects in the parking lot of Bank of America located at 6404 NE 117^th Avenue. Arriving Deputies were operating fully marked Sheriff’s Office vehicles with emergency red and blue lights activated at the time the subjects were located. Two Deputies exited their patrol vehicle and advised both subjects they were under arrest and to stop. The subjects, later identified as Payton Huth, 18, and Hector Navarrete Jimenez, 22, refused to comply with commands and began running on foot eastbound from the Bank of America Parking Lot. Deputies engaged in a foot pursuit and were able to catch up to and place Payton into custody. Hector continued running eastbound. 

Additional Deputies located Hector near the Bi Mart located at 11912 NE Fourth Plain Boulevard. Hector was given commands to stop and affirmed that he was under arrest. Hector continued running eastbound behind the Bi Mart building. During the foot pursuit, Hector was observed reaching into his waistband area. Hector was given several use-of-force warnings and told to stop reaching into his waistband as the waistband area is a known location for suspects to hide various weapons. During the foot pursuit, Hector pulled a can of bear mace from his waistband area which fell from his hand after tripping over himself. Deputies were able to close distance on Hector after he tripped and took Hector into custody without further incident.

Hector and Payton were both booked into the Clark County Jail for Burglary Second Degree, Malicious Mischief First Degree, Possession of a Stolen Motor Vehicle and Theft Second Degree. Additional charges of Resisting Arrest have been referred to the Clark County Prosecutors Office.  

During the course of this investigation, Deputies learned that the Tundra had been stolen from a Washougal residence due to the keys being left in the vehicle between 0200 and 0300 hours prior to the Burglary. Reports of stolen vehicles have increased over 45% in the last two years in un-incorporated Clark County. Stolen vehicles are often used in other offenses such as the aforementioned. In this particular incident, had the suspects fled in the stolen Tundra, Deputies would not be able to pursue to apprehend as it does not qualify as a violent offense. With the enactment of recent Washington State Legislation, Law Enforcement officers are limited in tactics used to apprehend these offenders and recover stolen vehicles. Law Enforcement officers are prohibited from pursuing a stolen vehicle which flees a traffic stop. Statistics show 592 vehicles have fled from Deputies traffic stops since April 2022. The Clark County Sheriff’s Office urges vehicle owners to ensure their vehicles are locked, do not have their keys stored inside them, and are not left warming up in the driveway with the cold weather soon upon our area.