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On 12/2/23 at approximately 0044 hrs a witness called 911 to report a pedestrian was involved in a collision with a vehicle on NE Highway 99 near the intersection with NE 82nd Street in Vancouver, WA.  Witnesses reported the vehicle fled the scene immediately after the collision.  First responders with Fire District 6, AMR, and the Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) arrived to find the pedestrian had succumbed to their injuries.  Detectives with the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit responded to the scene and are conducting an investigation.  It appears the pedestrian may have been attempting to cross the busy roadway in a lowly lit area with no crosswalk.  Family of the pedestrian has been notified. Anyone who may have video or other information that could be relevant to the investigation is asked to contact CCSO Det. Lau at bethany.lau@clark.wa.gov. This case is active pending further investigation by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Traffic Unit.

NE Highway 99 between NE 78^th Street and NE 82^nd Street will be closed for several hours during the investigation.

Update:  Gary Van Dyne has been located.  Clark County Sheriff thanks the community for their assistance.

Gary Van Dyne is a 77-year-old male, diagnosed with diabetes, hypertension, and dementia. Gary left from Allesgute Adult Home on 11/28/2023 at 0545 hours wearing a heavy light brown jacket, blue sweatpants, light-colored shoes and walks with a cane. Gary has a large scrape on the right side of his face from a recent fall. Gary was last seen at his Doctor’s Office located at 2101 NE 139th St, Vancouver, WA at approximately 0800 hours. If located contact the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) using 3-1-1 or if outside of Clark County (360) 696-4461.

On 11/23/2023, at 1455, Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (9-1-1) received a call from a citizen regarding a child in danger in the area of Pacific Park located at NE 172^nd Ave and NE 18^th St, Vancouver.  A deputy was dispatched and while enroute multiple citizens were calling describing the child, a male 11 or 12 years old, wearing socks, sweatpants and a t-shirt, darting in and out of traffic on NE 172^nd Ave. This area of Vancouver is very busy, and traffic was heavy.  Further information indicated one of the reporting citizens was able to get the child to the park and he was now sitting in a vehicle.

When the deputy arrived four of the involved citizens were there and informed the deputy that the child was autistic and non-verbal.  Deputies and dispatchers began searching past reports and records for similar incidents that might help identify the child.  The citizens on seen began taking initiative and reaching out to other resources. One citizen works for a school district and began making inquiries.  One citizen drove the area to look for someone who may be out looking for the child. Another took a picture of the child and posted on social media hoping for a quick identification.

While the efforts were being made, the father of the boy had called 9-1-1 to report his child missing. The child was returned home, and it was learned the family recently moved to the area and were still setting up their home to better watch the young boy who wandered off.

This incident highlights the strong community that exists in Clark County and the need for citizen involvement when it comes to assisting law enforcement.  The Sheriff’s Office thanks those who assisted in getting this young man home.

Zachary Childers is a 38-year-old male, diagnosed as schizophrenic and autistic. Zachary left his home on 11/19/2023 at 11:00 hours and is suspected to not have taken his medications. Zachary is stated to be combative if he has not taken his medication or eaten. Zachary does not have his wallet, EBT card or money. Zachary’s most recent location at was Big Lots (76th St/ 117th Ave). Zachary has frequented the Vancouver Mall area. If located contact the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA) using 3-1-1 or if outside of Clark County (360) 696-4461

Missing person was found safe.

On November 10th, 2023 at 11:36 hours, an unknown person texted “Active shooter at legacy hospital” to Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency (CRESA), the regional 911 dispatch center.  The GPS showed the phone was near Legacy Salmon Creek Hospital (LSCH).  Clark County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) deputies were already on scene after being dispatched to an unrelated transient problem near LSCH. Deputies communicated with LSCH security, and the hospital transitioned into lockdown status.  Deputies on scene did not observe any unusual behavior or indicators of any active threat. Throughout this time, no other 911 calls occurred.  Per LSCH protocol ambulances were also diverted.      

Through investigation, CCSO deputies were able to link the cell phone number to 42 year-old Fabian Primera. CCSO deputies had contact with Primera on the evening of November 9th related to welfare check call. 

Based on clothing description from the previous evening, CCSO deputies searched the area around LSCH. Primera was located just west of the LSCH campus about 30 minutes after sending the text.  Primera was in possession of the cellular phone used to send the text.  

The incident was confirmed to be a hoax and the lockdown at LSCH was lifted.   

Primera was arrested for False Reporting and Interference with a Health Care Facility. Primera was booked into the Clark County Jail.

On 6/20/2023, the Clark County Council authorized the County Manager to sign a five-year contract with Axon Enterprises that will provide Body Worn Cameras (BWCs), vehicle cameras, updated Taser products, as well as other performance improvements and tools for the Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), 

With a signed contract in place, the County Manager and the Sheriff selected a team of employees from each office to work together on the implementation of the Axon products. 

We are pleased to announce that this week, the first training classes for the BWCs were held and we now have 32 deputies wearing BWCs during their daily assignments. Additional trainings are ongoing and by years end nearly all commissioned personnel will have BWCs.  Additionally, we have begun training on and fielding of the new Tasers.

Once BWCs and Tasers are deployed, the implementation team will move to vehicle-mounted cameras and interview room cameras.  We anticipate both new features will be implemented by Spring 2024.

These new technologies will enable us to deliver better service, increase trust, and provide greater transparency to our community. 

The Sheriff’s Office would like to thank the voters of Clark County for passing the Public Safety Tax, which funds the BWC program. Thank you also to the Clark County Council, the County Manager’s Office, the Clark County IT Department, the Clark County Budget Office, the CCSO Body Worn Camera Team, and all those who worked on this project to make the BWC program happen.

Ashley Korslien

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office is excited to announce the selection of Ashley Korslien as our new Communications Manager. Ashley has nearly 15 years of experience in communications, journalism, and broadcasting, including the last 11 years working locally as an investigative reporter and news anchor at KGW-TV in Portland, Oregon.

Ashley graduated from the University of Montana and started her career as a Public Affairs Intern with the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office in California before working in broadcast journalism in Great Falls, MT, and Spokane, WA, until joining KGW-TV in 2013.

Throughout her professional journalism career, Ashley has been nominated for several Emmys and received the prestigious Edward R. Murrow Award, which recognizes excellence in journalism and broadcasting, three times. She was also awarded the Montana Air National Guard’s Distinguished Patriot Medal and Award for Outstanding Journalism for her dedication to telling stories about military families in the state.

Sheriff John Horch said about the selection, “I am excited to have such a highly qualified professional in Ashley join the Clark County Sheriff’s Office Team. Her passion and talent will only help our agency make better connections with the community.”

The Communications Manager is a new position at the Sheriff’s Office and will increase the Sheriff’s Office's effectiveness in communicating both within the agency and with the community. This position will work closely with our Body Worn Camera team and Community Outreach programs. Ashley will work with a sworn Public Information Officer (PIO) to provide information to the public through various sources, including the Sheriff’s Office website, news releases, press conferences, social media, interviews, and videos.

Ashley is scheduled to join our team on December 4^th.