Suspect wanted in shooting, armed robberies shot dead by police
VANCOUVER, Wash. – An officer shot and killed a suspect near a club in Vancouver late Friday night, police said.
Officers were looking for two suspects in connection with a shooting and robberies in Hazel Dell, Wash. earlier Friday.
Police spokeswomen Kim Kapp identified the suspect who was shot as 16-year-old Douglas E. Combs. Kapp said Combs was armed at the time of the shooting and is the suspect in three crimes on Jan. 25: A shooting at an apartment complex at 1 a.m., an armed robbery at a 7-Eleven store at 5:30 a.m. and an armed robbery at a Shell gas station at 6:30 p.m.
Officers confronted Combs and the other 16-year-old suspect near Pop Culture, located at East 19th and C Street, at around 11:30 p.m., when Combs ran to a nearby abandoned warehouse and attempted to draw a gun.
An officer Combs. He died at the scene.
Terry Greenen lives near the shooting scene. He told KATU News he heard four shots fired.
"At least two officers, I noticed were giving orders to someone, then four other shots were fired," he said. "The other [suspect] was on the left hand side of the building. He threw down his gun and [they] took him away."
Joey Le Bard, a manager at Pop Culture, said he stamped Combs' hand as he entered the club for a concert. Le Bard was stopped by police as he left the club.
"They said there is someone dangerous at your place and they asked me what time were we going to close and I said around eleven or so, and they were just going to wait him out," said Le Bard.
The Camas Police Department is investigating the shooting.
Vancouver police said the second 16-year-old suspect was also armed.
The Vancouver police officer who shot Combs will be placed on paid administrative leave, which is department policy. The officer's name has not been released.
Law enforcement sources told KATU News that the search for the two suspects started with a shooting at a Hazel Dell apartment complex early Friday morning.
A woman who was in an apartment and did not want to be identified said her boyfriend was cooking when the shooting began. She said she was asleep at the time.
"All I know is, someone came in through my back door, started chasing my boyfriend through the house, shooting at him," she said. "I saw the gunman run after my boyfriend into the bathroom and I ran out of the house and called 9-1-1," she said. "Five minutes later, my boyfriend came to the neighbors and collapsed on the ground and the paramedics came and took him."
A short time later, an armed robbery was reported at a 7-Eleven less than a mile from the scene of the shooting. The description of the suspect was similar to that of the shooting suspect.
No one was hurt in that incident, deputies said.
Vancouver police believe the suspect was also responsible for an armed robbery at a Shell gas station at 7001 NE Fourth Plain Boulevard Friday evening.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
The murderer! When they outlaw guns only the Patriots, criminals and psycho cops will be armed.
So was the boyfriend involved?why did the dude just run in and open fire on the apt. Just very glad another dirt bag bites the dust.
 @IAMHIGHÂ
Yep..the best police response to an armed suspect should always ends with the death of the suspect. The criminals are always emboldened by the fact that their defense will be paid for by Joe Pubic, and that district attorneys are more than willing to plea bargain their armed charges down to a parking violation. Another dead one?? Good times Â
@flor3nc3 Amen to that..you said it all in a nut shell.
@IAMHIGH ---those lead progectiles do travel mighty fast when necessary. Fortunately, the finest train on the range weekly/monthly and are more capable of dropping someone safely (among a pop of innocent civilians) than those loose cannons out there, like lib/guntards.