Washington state sheriff’s deputy killed in line of duty, 2 people arrested

A sheriff’s deputy in southern Washington was killed Friday night and two people have been detained in the case.

Clark County Sheriff’s Deputy Jeremy Brown was outside an apartment building in Vancouver, across the Columbia River from Portland, Ore., when he was fatally shot, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported.

Two people of interest were detained later Friday night, according to the Columbian. Cops were still looking for a third person as of Saturday afternoon.

The exact circumstances of Brown’s death remain unclear. Witnesses at The Pointe Apartments, where the shooting occurred, said they heard gunshots around 7 p.m., the Columbian reported. Several law enforcement vehicles quickly swarmed the scene.

Brown was part of an anti-drug task force covering southern Washington, according to OPB. Multiple unmarked vehicles, likely undercover, were part of the immediate police response, neighbors said.

Officers surrounded a building in the apartment complex after the shooting, and one woman surrendered about an hour later, the Columbian reported. Around 11 p.m., a SWAT team breached the building but left without any suspects.

Brown was a 13-year veteran of the Clark County Sheriff’s Office and also served in the Marines from 1993 to 1995, OPB reported. The last killing of a Clark County deputy occurred in 2004.