The CCSO has confirmed that the deceased person in this incident is Charles Gardiner, the interim chief of the Cowlitz Tribal Public Safety Department
On Wednesday (April 23) at about 9:43 p.m., Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) deputies responded to a report of an occupied residential burglary in the 9000 block of NE 79th Street in Northeast Vancouver. The caller reported a male subject inside the residence. The male subject fled the residence on foot.
As deputies and other law enforcement officers searched the area, they located a vehicle with a deceased person inside matching the subject’s description. Evidence suggests the individual died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has confirmed that the deceased person in this incident is Charles Gardiner, the interim chief of the Cowlitz Tribal Public Safety Department.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is actively investigating this case, including the circumstances of why Gardiner was in the residence.
Due to the nature of this investigation, additional details cannot be released at this time.
Additional updates will be released when more information is available.
The CCSO Major Crimes Unit is investigating the incident.
Information provided by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Also read:
- Opinion: ‘A more responsible approach must be sought’
Ken Vance argues a $10 billion funding gap makes the phased I-5 Bridge approach fiscally reckless, not responsible. - Semi-truck brings 40,000 pounds of donations to Clark County Food Bank
40,000 pounds of donated food arrived at the Clark County Food Bank, enough to feed about 1,400 people for a week. - ‘Light rail to nowhere’? Surging costs undercut I-5 bridge transit plan
Vancouver’s promised light rail extension to Library Square has no timeline, and the waterfront station would sit 90 feet above ground. - Raptors, Ridgefield welcome another season of West Coast League baseball
Mayor Matt Cole threw the ceremonial first pitch as the Raptors opened their 2026 season with a 9-0 win. - POLL: Do patriotic displays like Yacolt’s road striping help strengthen community spirit?
A Yacolt road striping project tied to America’s 250th anniversary is dividing opinion in Clark County. - Opinion: The challenges of getting the Brockmann mental health facility open
A $42 million, 48-bed mental health campus near WSU Vancouver was completed in 2025 but never opened due to lack of state funding. - Parents call for resignation of Longview School Board amid sex assault investigation
Superintendent Karen Cloninger faces felony witness tampering charges tied to a student sex assault case at Mark Morris High School.
