A man shot and killed by Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputies this week during a welfare check gone awry has been identified.
The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office said Friday that deputies shot and killed 53-year-old Jonathan Gale. Gale died from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso, officials said in a statement.
The incident has landed five deputies on paid leave, though investigators have not said how many opened fire. It’s not unusual for law enforcement officers who are present for a fatal use of force, even if they did not play a direct role, to be placed on paid leave.
On Tuesday, deputies had responded to a 911 call from a woman who asked police to check on her mother at a home in Brush Prairie, a community outside of Vancouver, Washington. When they arrived, deputies said they believed the caller’s mother was being held against her will.
“Upon arrival, deputies learned from a female at the location that she was being held against her will and she had been sexually assaulted by the male at the residence,” investigators said in a statement Friday.
It’s unclear exactly what transpired when deputies arrived. A team of investigators issued statements saying that deputies believed the man was armed, but have not said if he was actually holding a gun at the time.
“As deputies attempted to detain the male, there was a use of force resulting in an officer-involved shooting,” wrote a spokesperson from the Vancouver Police Department, which is investigating the shooting.
The male died outside of his RV, the medical examiner’s office said in its Friday statement. It’s unclear if the woman sustained any serious injuries. Investigators said they took her to a hospital “for evaluation.”
Investigators did find a firearm at the residence. However, spokesperson Kim Kapp said a gun was found “in close proximity to the male.”
Several questions remain unanswered. Investigators have not detailed what occurred between the time deputies arrived and the shooting, nor have they specified whether the man wielded a gun or not.
The Vancouver Police Department did not respond immediately Friday to multiple questions asked by OPB.