Jan. 30 (UPI) — An off-duty police officer in Washington was shot and killed while at his home as sheriff’s deputy pursued an armed suspect early Sunday morning.
Vancouver, Wash., Mayor Anne McEnery-Ogle in a statement Sunday identified the officer as Donald Sahota, saying he had been with the Vancouver Police Department since 2014.
“The sudden death of Officer Sahota is devastating and we don’t have all the details of what occurred,” said McEnery-Ogle. “This will be investigated by the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team. It will likely be days before we know more.”
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office in a statement said that an officer discharged his firearm while pursuing a suspect wanted for armed robbery in the Orchards area.
The sheriff’s office said the individual who was shot was pronounced dead at the scene after medical aid was provided but did not include further information about the person’s identity.
Deputies were dispatched to a Chevron gas station and convenience store at 8:14 p.m. Saturday night after a suspect in the robbery was described as having a handgun and fled the area in a stolen vehicle.
Deputies located the suspect “a short time later” and pursued him towards Battle Ground where he eventually abandoned the vehicle and fled on foot.
The suspect then contacted a homeowner in a nearby residence and police contacted all parties, during which the officer discharged his weapon, police said.
The sheriff’s office said the incident is being treated as an officer-involved shooting and confirmed it will be subject to investigation.
