A 44-year-old Battle Ground man is being held on $400,000 bail after court documents laid out how a road-rage confrontation on a residential street escalated into gunfire, sending at least one bullet into the wall of a home while a family was inside. Theodore Seaman was booked into the Clark County Jail following the Sept. 19 shooting, and a juvenile passenger who fled the scene on foot was later found and is cooperating with investigators.
According to court documents detailed by The Reflector, the confrontation began when residents were returning from church and a silver Nissan sedan struck a curb while passing around their pickup truck on Northeast 12th Street. The driver then reportedly yelled at the residents, pointed a firearm toward the home, and fired at least two gunshots, with a witness saying the driver appeared to fire shots into the air as the car sped off.
Dispatch, Chase and a Bullet Hole
Battle Ground police received a high-priority disturbance call at approximately 1:55 p.m. Sept. 19 reporting activity in the 1700 block of Northeast 12th Street, according to a City of Battle Ground news release, though KPTV separately described the response area as the intersection of Northeast 12th Street and Northeast 17th Avenue. Witnesses told police they saw two men inside the sedan, with multiple gunshots fired from the vehicle as it fled, per the city's account.
Investigators later documented an apparent bullet hole on the eastern-facing exterior wall of the residence, and a resident occupied the room closest to that hole, according to the court documents reported by The Reflector. Officers determined the gunfire created a risk of serious injury to people inside the home, and several residents were placed at risk when shots were fired in the residential area, though no injuries were ultimately reported.
Chase to the State Park
The suspect vehicle was described as a silver Nissan sedan traveling in the direction of Battle Ground Lake State Park, per the city's newsflash. Court documents reviewed by The Reflector add that the car was headed toward the park via Heisson Road, and that responding agencies included the Clark County Sheriff's Office, Vancouver Police Department and Washington State Patrol.
A Clark County sheriff's deputy located a silver Nissan matching the description entering the park, with the vehicle eventually found in the 18000 block of Northeast 249th Street, according to the same court documents. Officers and deputies detained the driver, but the passenger fled the vehicle on foot, the city's release states. Deputies and officers then searched the area with police dogs and drones but were unable to find him, KPTV reported, before he was later located, according to the city.
Video Evidence and Charges
Police identified Seaman as the driver based on witness statements and video evidence, including footage from a resident who provided video to law enforcement, according to the court documents. That footage reportedly showed the suspect vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed and gave investigators a clear, unobstructed view of the driver. Investigators also recovered six spent 9 mm shell casings near Northeast 12th Street and Northeast 10th Street/Northeast Heisson Road, with the casing locations consistent with witness statements and the video evidence, per the same documents. The city's newsflash separately noted that officers found several spent shell casings in the roadway near the initial scene.
Court documents further state investigators determined Seaman was not legally allowed to possess firearms. He was arrested for drive-by shooting and booked into the Clark County Jail, according to the city. As reported by The Columbian, Seaman faces allegations of first-degree assault, unlawful possession of a firearm, drive-by shooting, aiming or discharging a firearm, and reckless endangerment. A Clark County Superior Court judge held him on $400,000 bail. Under Washington law, a person is guilty of drive-by shooting when they recklessly discharge a firearm in a manner creating a substantial risk of death or serious injury, with the discharge coming from a motor vehicle or its immediate area, according to RCW 9A.36.045.
Juvenile Cooperating, Case Moving Toward Trial
The juvenile passenger who ran from the vehicle was arrested at a different time and is now cooperating with investigators, the city said. Police have said the juvenile's name and age will not be released, according to KOIN.
Seaman pleaded not guilty in Clark County Superior Court, with a trial tentatively set for Nov. 16, according to the court documents cited by The Reflector. Battle Ground police have said additional charges may be considered as the investigation continues.
