State watchdogs have publicly named the two Vancouver police officers who opened fire during a late-night confrontation in December, and the city has released video of the encounter - a fresh jolt of attention for an investigation that is still very much alive. The shooting happened around midnight on Dec. 27 in the 13200 block of NE 46th Street. The man struck by officers was taken to a nearby hospital and later pronounced dead. Investigators from the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations, along with local police, have been gathering camera footage and interviewing witnesses as they work to piece together what happened.
OII names officers and confirms identity of victim
The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations identified the two involved officers as Officer Sean Donaldson and Officer Christopher Holmquist and said the Clark County Medical Examiner identified the deceased as Perry J. Sellars, 44, according to OII. The agency has set up a tip line and is asking anyone with information to call (564) 250-3610.
Department shares bodycam package
The Vancouver Police Department has released a video package that includes body-worn camera footage and explanatory graphics, as reported by KOIN. The city had previously said that footage captured by body-worn and in-car cameras would be reviewed and released at a later time, according to City of Vancouver.
Evidence collected so far
OII investigators report they have collected six security videos from the surrounding area, obtained 40 in-car videos and 51 body-worn camera videos, and completed 14 witness interviews as part of the inquiry, the agency said. The OII noted that the tip line had received no calls to date and said no further updates are expected until the final case report is released.
Who was the man who died
Local reporting identified the man who was killed as Perry J. Sellars and noted he had a prior manslaughter conviction decades earlier. Those background details have been reported by local outlets, and earlier coverage has laid out that history while OII conducts its evidence review.
Next steps in the investigation
The city said three Vancouver officers - the two who fired and a witness officer - have been placed on critical-incident leave per standard protocol, and that once OII completes its review the case will be forwarded to the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office for charging review, according to City of Vancouver. Officials say they expect the investigation to be documented in a final OII case report before any additional public updates are released.
