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The Vancouver Police Department is requesting the help of the public in locating a missing / endangered elderly male who drove away from his home earlier this morning and has not returned home.  

The missing adult is Richard Leif Jamsgard, 86-year-old, 5'8", 175 lbs., with White hair and Blue eyes.  He was last observed wearing a tan vest with a dark shirt underneath, blue jeans, a black Pendelton hat, and reading glasses.  Richard was driving a maroon, 1998, GMC Safari passenger van with Washington license plate “BYF3002”.  

Richard is considered endangered due to his age, advanced cognitive issues, and as he left behind all means of financial access (ID, banks cards, currency).

A silver alert has further been set-up through Washington State Patrol.  Photographs of Richard have been attached.  

If located, please contact your local law enforcement agency.

Vancouver, Wash. – Vancouver Police Public Affairs Manager Kim Kapp will be out of the office December 23-January 3.

Acting Commander Kathy McNicholas will be covering PIO duties on the above dates during office hours (8am-5pm) and can be reached at (360) 518-2123 or at kathy.mcnicholas@cityofvancouver.us.

Acting Commander McNicholas is the only PIO point of contact for the above-listed dates. Please do not email or contact other personnel who have covered PIO duties in the past or who have been listed on a previous media release as a PIO.  

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Vancouver, Wash. – In 2024, the Vancouver Police Department Traffic Unit investigated a record high 15 fatality collisions. In an effort to increase safety and reduce collisions, the Vancouver Police Department, in concert with the City of Vancouver’s Local Road Safety Plan and Washington Traffic Safety Commission Target Zero campaigns, will be conducting additional traffic safety emphasis patrols from December 20 – January 5. The focus of these patrols will be to increase pedestrian safety by conducting high-visibility enforcement of pedestrian violations for crossing outside of crosswalks, with an emphasis on education and warnings rather than citations. Additionally, officers will seek to enforce traffic laws with the goal of changing dangerous driving behaviors, which contribute to traffic collisions.

Studies of traffic-related fatalities indicate effective countermeasures involve the “four E’s”: Engineering, Education, Enforcement, and Emergency Response.

The City of Vancouver has identified specific engineering and roadway design countermeasures in the    2022 Local Road Safety Plan.

New state laws take effect in 2025 which are intended to enhance safety for vulnerable road users such as pedestrians, cyclists, and individuals using personal mobility devices. Under the new laws, negligent drivers that cause serious injury or death of a vulnerable road user face increased fines, driving privilege suspensions, and imprisonment. 

• RCW 46.61.5259 Negligent driving with a vulnerable user victim—First degree—Penalties—Definitions. (Effective January 1, 2025.)
• RCW 46.61.526 Negligent driving—With a vulnerable user victim—Second degree—Penalties—Definitions. (Effective January 1, 2025.)

As part of this emphasis, the Vancouver Police Department will be educating drivers regarding the new laws that take effect January 1, 2025, which are aimed at reducing injuries and deaths from crashes involving pedestrians and cyclists. 

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission (WTSC) will be running an educational campaign to inform drivers of the new laws and promote road safety. Educational messages will also be posted on the Vancouver Police Department social media channels including Facebook, X, Instagram and Nextdoor.com.

The Washington Traffic Safety Commission has information regarding the new laws at: New Law to Protect Vulnerable Road Users Takes Effect January 1st - Washington Traffic Safety Commission.

Additional information regarding the Vancouver Police Department’s traffic safety efforts can be found on the VPD Traffic Safety page. 

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Vancouver, Wash. – On December 4, 2024, the Vancouver Police Department (VPD) was involved in a shooting during contact with a male in the loading dock area of the Safeway at 13719 SE Mill Plain Blvd. One Vancouver Police Officer discharged their duty weapon. Two Vancouver Police Officers witnessed the incident. The involved officer was placed on Critical Incident Leave, per standard protocol. All responding Vancouver Police Officers were wearing body worn cameras (BWC). 

Following an officer-involved shooting involving the Vancouver Police Department, the department will release a Critical Incident Video, which includes portions of video captured from department cameras. The release of these videos is at the discretion of the Chief of Police and is separate from the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII), who is investigating the shooting. 

The Vancouver Police Department is not involved in the shooting investigation. VPD will conduct an administrative investigation/review after the OII team has concluded their investigation. 

The Critical Incident Video can be viewed on the Vancouver Police Department website: Critical Incident Videos -The City of Vancouver, WA

The Vancouver Police Department will not be commenting on the investigation or the content in the Critical Incident Video. Release of the video is to provide some visual context of the incident as the Vancouver Police Department understands the events to have occurred, according to the video and incident information.  

The Vancouver Police Department values the sanctity of human life and the dignity of all persons, and any loss of life is tragic. 

Please be aware the video contains graphic images and viewer discretion is strongly advised.

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Vancouver, Wash. – Vancouver Police Public Affairs Manager Kim Kapp will be unavailable December 9.

Acting Commander Kathy McNicholas will be covering PIO duties on those dates during office hours (8am-5pm) and can be reached at (360) 518-2123 or at kathy.mcnicholas@cityofvancouver.us.

Acting Commander McNicholas is the only PIO point of contact for the above-listed date. Please do not email or contact other personnel who have covered PIO duties in the past or who have been listed on a previous media release as a PIO.  

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Vancouver, Wash. – On December 4, 2024, at approximately 10:48 p.m., Vancouver Police were making contact with a male in the parking lot of the Safeway at 13719 SE Mill Plain Blvd. During the contact, the male and the officer got into a physical fight and during the fight the male produced a firearm. One Vancouver Police Officer at the scene discharged his firearm, striking the male who was transported to an area hospital where he was pronounced deceased. One Vancouver Police Officer was injured in the fight. No bystanders were injured. 

Three Vancouver Police Officers, the involved officer and two witness officers, have been placed on critical incident leave, per standard protocol. 

The information being released is preliminary, and this is an ongoing investigation. The Vancouver Police Department notified the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII), who will be investigating the shooting. 

As part of the Vancouver Police Department’s Body Worn Camera (BWC) Program, video captured by body-worn cameras and in-car cameras will be reviewed and released at a later time. 

In compliance with WAC 139-12, Vancouver Police Department personnel will not be involved in the independent investigation.

•          All future communications will be sent via the OII.

•          The OII will release the names of the involved officer.

•          The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office will release the name of the deceased.

•          Once the OII investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the Clark County Prosecutor’s Office for review.        

No further information is available.

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Vancouver, Wash. – Today the Vancouver Police Department Major Crime Unit and the Vancouver Police Department Crime Reduction Unit (CRU), with the assistance from the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and the Battle Ground Police Department, served another warrant at a Battle Ground residence related to a series of Bank Robbery investigations in Vancouver, Clark County, and the Portland/metro area. 

Today’s search warrant resulted in the arrest of Bryan Russell Vaughan Duke, 44 years of age for the following robberies:

• September 13, 2024-Umpqua Bank-11515 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver 
• October 17, 2024-Umpqua Bank-10705 NE Fourth Plain Blvd., Vancouver 
• October 25, 2024-U.S. Bank-11621 SE Mill Plain Blvd., Vancouver

Vaughan Duke has been booked into the Clark County Jail on three counts of Robbery I. Additional charges are likely pending. 

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Vancouver, Wash. – Last night at around 6: 20 p.m., Vancouver Police responded to a collision involving a vehicle that hit a pedestrian in the intersection of NE Fourth Plain Blvd./NE 117^th Avenue. The pedestrian was crossing in the crosswalk on the west side of the intersection, against the light, when a driver approached the intersection and hit the pedestrian. The driver remained on scene and impairment on the part of the driver was not a factor in the collision. The pedestrian was transported to an area hospital but did not survive his injuries. 

The Vancouver Police Department Traffic Unit is continuing this investigation. This is the 14th fatality collision in 2024 that the Vancouver Police Traffic Unit has investigated. 

The Vancouver Police Department reminds pedestrians to always activate crosswalk signals before crossing roadways, never cross mid-block and wear light-colored or reflective clothing. Drivers, especially during hours of darkness or when there is reduced visibility, should remain alert to possible pedestrians in and around intersections and maintain legal speeds. Visit the Vancouver Police Department Traffic Safety Page for more information. 

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