A Battle Ground Police Department sergeant died from an overdose of methamphetamine and fentanyl he had in his office, an investigation into his death concluded.
On Oct. 26, the city announced the completion of an investigation into Sgt. Richard Kelly’s Aug. 10 on-duty death. He was found unconscious in his office at the Battle Ground Police station and pronounced dead at a hospital later that day.
According to a news release, Police Chief Mike Fort requested the Vancouver Police Department conduct an independent investigation “immediately” after Kelly’s death. That investigation determined Kelly’s death was “more likely than not caused by an intentional act and not an incidental workplace exposure.”
Vancouver police investigated physical evidence at the scene, toxicology reports and the Clark County Medical Examiner’s report, the release stated. The medical examiner determined Kelly’s cause of death as “combined toxic effects of fentanyl and methamphetamine.”
In the city’s announcement of the investigation, Fort thanked the community for their support following Kelly’s death.
“Sgt. Kelly’s unexpected passing was a significant and traumatic event for his co-workers, family, and friends,” Fort said.
Kelly joined BGPD in 2005, and was promoted to sergeant in 2019.
Alongside the death investigation, Fort ordered an independent audit of BGPD’s property and evidence procedures, the release stated. That audit was undertaken by the Clark County Sheriff’s Office, and BGPD is awaiting the report, Ground Communications Manager Alisha Smith said in an email.
The investigative report was released Oct. 18, after which Kelly’s family and the BGPD chief were notified. A day later, Fort announced his retirement from the chief position.
Fort had submitted his intent to retire earlier in May, Smith said. The findings of the investigation did not play into the chief’s decision, she said.
