The Clark County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) confirmed Friday that Charles Gardiner, interim chief of the Cowlitz Tribal Public Safety Department, was found dead following a reported burglary earlier this week in Vancouver.
Deputies responded around 9:43 p.m. on April 23 to a report of an occupied residential burglary in the 9000 block of Northeast 79th Street in Northeast Vancouver.
The caller told dispatchers that a man was inside the home. Before deputies arrived, the suspect ran away.
Law enforcement officers began searching the area and soon found a vehicle nearby with a deceased person inside who matched the description of the burglary suspect.
According to the CCSO, evidence indicates the individual died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
On Friday morning, the sheriff’s office publicly identified the deceased person as Gardiner.
The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is leading the investigation and is working to determine why Gardiner was inside the residence.
Due to the sensitive nature of the case, investigators said additional details are not being released at this time.
Officials said more updates will be provided when available.
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