The investigation into the shooting death of Camas man Kevin Peterson Jr. in Hazel Dell late last month has turned up no evidence that Peterson had shot at police, according to information released Tuesday, Nov. 10.
An update from the investigation detailed the events of the shooting, where on Oct. 29 three Clark County Sheriff’s Office deputies fired on Peterson, a Black 21-year-old, in the parking lot of U.S. Bank on Northeast Highway 99. Though previously information from court records claimed Peterson had fired at deputies, which Clark County Sheriff Chuck Atkins said he was told was the case during a press conference the day after the shooting, the investigation found otherwise, with no bullet casings matching Peterson’s firearm, a Glock model 23, .40 caliber semiautomatic handgun, found.
The investigation update identified three sheriff’s deputies involved in the shooting of Peterson, all of whom had been interviewed:
• Detective Jeremy Brown, 46, a 14-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office
• Detective Robert Anderson, 42, a 13-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office
• Deputy Jonathan Feller, age 46, a 2.5-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, with approximately 14 years of previous law enforcement experience in South Dakota.
Brown and Anderson are assigned to the Clark County Regional Drug Task Force, while Feller is assigned to the sheriff’s patrol division, according to the investigation update.
The investigation update provided a timeline of what led to Peterson’s death. According to the update, detectives with the Clark County Regional Drug Task Force were attempting to purchase Xanax, a prescription anti-anxiety drug, from Peterson, who they identified through Peterson’s Snapchat profile.
Driving unmarked cars, detectives activated emergency lights as they came to Peterson’s Mercedes, parked in the parking lot of the Quality In on Northeast Highway 99. The investigation update noted the detectives were wearing law enforcement identification and tactical vests.
Peterson immediately fled when officers attempted to contact him, dropping a handgun while he was running on foot. Though detectives ordered Peterson not to retrieve the handgun, he did, and law enforcement stopped the pursuit as Peterson was armed, advising other law enforcement that he was armed.
Peterson walked South still carrying the handgun in his hand, based on radio traffic, going through a tree line into the U.S. Bank lot. Deputies contacted Peterson in that lot, telling him to stop, with deputy Anderson noting Peterson had a cell phone in his hand. Peterson did not stop and pulled the handgun out of his pocket, according to the investigation; Anderson told Peterson to drop the gun but Peterson proceeded North.
“Deputy Anderson told investigators he believed Peterson was a threat to the public and to the containment units coming in from the north,” according to the update. Anderson told investigators he fired at Peterson as Peterson continued toward incoming units.
Deputy Feller said Peterson pointed the handgun at him while running North, at which time Feller fired at Peterson, the update stated.
Peterson fell, then sat up and pointed his handgun, video from the nearby U.S. Bank showed, with deputies stating Peterson was pointing at deputy Brown. Anderson and Brown fired at Peterson, with Brown not knowing whether or not he had been shot, the update stated.
Following commands for Peterson to drop the gun, he eventually set it down “and continued to make some movements,” according to the update. Deputies advised over radio there had been a shooting, requesting aid to approach Peterson with a shield given a handgun was within his reach.
The update stated deputies reached Peterson about five minutes after shots were fired “and immediately rendered first aid.” Investigators examined Peterson’s handgun and found a chambered round and one missing from the magazine.
“At this time, detectives do not have evidence that Peterson fired the handgun while in the U.S. Bank lot, based on involved deputy interviews,” the update stated.
After serving a search warrant on Peterson’s vehicle, investigators found pre-packaged pills identified as Xanax, according to the update. Peterson’s handgun was tracked to one of his relatives, who sold the firearm to Peterson in August.
The investigation is ongoing and is being handled by the Southwest Washington Independent Investigations Response team, with assistance from the Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team. Earlier this month Clark County prosecuting attorney Tony Golik had requested Lower Columbia Major Crimes Team members assume the team commander and lead investigator roles for this investigation, according to a Nov. 3 investigation update. Law enforcement from Cowlitz County have filled those positions.
