A man was fatally shot by Clark County sheriff's deputies during a domestic violence call has been caught on body cam footage, authorities released the gripping video last Thursday. The videos, which capture the tense moments leading up to the deadly encounter, show deputies speaking with 53-year-old Jonathan Gale of Brush Prairie before he pulled a gun from his waistband, the footage, which marks the first shooting caught on body cameras since their recent implementation by the department, was released amidst an investigation by the Southwest Washington Independent Investigation Team.
The Clark County Medical Examiner's Office has identified Gale who died from multiple gunshot wounds to the torso according to The Columbian.
As seen in the footage obtained from the KOIN, deputies responded to a call from a woman reporting that her mother sounded like she was being held hostage and that there were "guns everywhere," when they arrived at the property, they found the mother and Gale outside an RV. During their questioning, Gale warned deputies not to touch him claiming he had COVID-19, before he reached toward his waistband as a deputy told others that Gale needed to be detained.
Body camera video shows the confrontation unfolded quickly, "No, don't f------ touch me," Gale stated in the video, moments later deputies report that he produced what appeared to be a firearm resulting in the deputies discharging their weapons, this detail confirmed by KGW. Following the incident, which also marks the first shooting in the county since body cameras became standard protocol for deputies, all five deputies involved were placed on leave as investigations proceeded.
The incident has come under scrutiny by the Vancouver Police Department as part of the Southwest Washington Independent Investigation Team deliberations are to continue, and the body cam footage remains available for public viewing with a disclaimer for its potentially disturbing content, which can be found on the Clark County Sheriff's Office website. Shortly after the shooting, the deputies involved, three shooters and two witnesses, had their identities released by the Vancouver Police Department, who also provided a compilation of the body camera footage as part of their ongoing investigation into the shooting.
