An off-duty police officer in Vancouver, Washington was shot and killed while at his home while sheriff’s deputy pursued an armed suspect early Sunday morning.
In a statement on Sunday, Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnery-Ogle identified the officer as Donald Sahota and confirmed he had been with the Vancouver Police Department since 2014. Said Mayor McEnery-Ogle: “The sudden death of Officer Sahota is devastating and we don’t have all the details of what occurred. This will be investigated by the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team. It will likely be days before we know more.”
In a statement, the Clark County Sheriff’s Office said that deputies were dispatched to a Chevron gas station and convenience store at 8:14 p.m. Saturday night after a suspect of a robbery was described as having a handgun, fleeing the area in a stolen vehicle. Deputies located the suspect “a short time later” and pursued him, after which 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 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.
The sheriff’s office said the incident is being treated as an officer-involved shooting and confirmed it will be subject to investigation.
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