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| 2/13/2010 7:53:00 AM | Email this article • Print this article
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| An investigator looks for evidence at about 7:30 a.m. Saturday morning on the outside of WSP Trooper Scott Johnson's vehicle, where Johnson was ambushed by a passerby at about 1 a.m. at 13th Street South. DAMIAN MULINIX/Chinook Observer |
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| Trooper Scott L. Johnson |
| | Information sought | Did you see anything or take photos of the incident in downtown Long Beach last night?
Please send photos and information to editor@chinookobserver.com or call (360) 642-8181.
Scroll to bottom of the page to view more photos.
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Police hunt for gunman after state trooper is shot in Long Beach
Officers seek public help after 'blatant, unprovoked assault'
Observer Staff report
Updated 2:02 p.m.
LONG BEACH - A Washington State Patrol trooper, shot in the head early Saturday morning just south of downtown Long Beach, is continuing to improve Saturday afternoon in a Portland hospital.
Trooper Scott Johnson, from the Naselle detachment, is in pain, but his injuries are not life-threatening.
"I am incredibly relieved to see Scott doing so well," said WSP Chief John Batiste. "Despite having been shot in the head, he was laughing and joking with those around him. His behavior today sets a new standard for professionalism and heroism."
State troopers and officers from all area jurisdictions, including Long Beach Police Department and the Pacific County Sheriff's Office plus Oregon State Police, were involved in a coordinated search for the gunman. One person of interest was contacted this morning, but was quickly cleared by investigators.
At 11:15 a.m. Saturday WSP Trooper Freddie Williams said that four canine handlers and their dogs were present in Long Beach and about to begin a door-to-door search for the suspect and evidence.
Even in the moderate rain falling Saturday morning, Williams said the dogs may be able to detect the odor of a recently fired handgun.
Here is what happened.
The shooting occurred at 12:42 a.m. Saturday along State Route 103 near 12th Street South, as Johnson, a 25-year veteran trooper, was inventorying the contents of a vehicle about to be towed after fellow Trooper Jesse Greene had made a stop.
The driver of the vehicle being towed had been arrested by Trooper Greene for driving while impaired. Greene had taken the woman, who was alone when stopped, to the Long Beach Police Station for processing.
Assisting a colleague
JJ Gundermann, from WSP in Tacoma, described what is known at this point.
"Another trooper had pulled a woman over and arrested her for DUI. Scott Johnson came to assist and (tow truck driver) George Hill was in the process of towing the vehicle involved in the DUI arrest," Gundermann said.
"A scruffy white male in his 40s walked by and stared at Johnson. Scott asked him, 'Can I help you?' The man mumbled something and walked away.
"The man then returned and shot Johnson twice with a small-caliber hand gun, hitting him once in the head," Gundermann.
The other bullet grazed him, according to Trooper Krista Hedstrom in an initial release, although later reports were that he was only hit once.
"Scott was able to return fire," Gundermann said. It is not known if the man was hit.
"The man fled to the northeast on foot. Hill chased him, but when the gunman shot at Hill he wisely stopped his pursuit," Gundermann said.
The suspect description has been updated. He is described as a white male, 35-40 years old with light tan complexion. He is 5'10" to 5'11" tall, and weighed about 185 - 200 pounds. He was wearing a dark colored insulated shirt and possibly a knit cap. The weapon is thought to have been a small-caliber handgun. Neither Johnson nor Hill recognized the suspect.
Anyone who has information about the shooting or the suspect asked to call the Washington State Patrol at 1-800-283-7808, but not approach the man.
Pacific County Sheriff John Didion said a command post has been set up in Long Beach and that authorities are pursuing "a couple of leads."
Working all night
Troopers from Olympia were on scene shortly after the shooting and stayed up all night securing the area and searching for the man. Troopers and deputies from the Sheriff's Office cordoned off the scene with yellow tape and parked patrol rigs at either end of the highway to prevent people getting close as crime scene technicians worked to find clues even before first light.
A State Patrol K-9 unit was on scene by 7 a.m. Saturday and at least one WSP officer was armed with a high-powered rifle.
Drivers leaving the Long Beach Peninsula Saturday morning were stopped and their vehicles searched by officers, causing a half-mile backup of vehicles by the KOA Kampground outside of Ilwaco around 9:30 a.m. The roundblock was removed about an hour later. Williams said the patrol decided that it would be counter-prooductive to continue the roadblocks beyond late morning.
'Scott was pretty shaken'
Trooper Johnson was first taken to the Ocean Beach Hospital in Ilwaco, then transported by ambulance to Oregon Health Sciences University in Portland.
Trooper Lonnie Eaton said he was called at home by his dispatcher at 12:50 a.m.
"It was not the kind of call I want to ever get," he said. "I came down to the hospital to be with Scott. He said he noticed the shooter walk by and then the next thing Scott knew the guy shot him in the back of the head near his right ear."
"Scott was pretty shaken, of course. I was with him for over an hour before he was taken by ambulance," Eaton said. "He was shaking from the adrenaline rush and he was pretty worried at first.
"We found out the bullet was just under the skin and there were no fractures or any injuries to Scott's neck. It was good that it wasn't more serious."
Eaton said he followed the ambulance to Longview then another trooper took over from there to escort it to OHSU.
Governor and patrol chief speak
Johnson's family and Patrol Chief Batiste are at the hospital in Portland, where WSP officals conducted a press briefing at 1:15 p.m.
"I am troubled that we've had yet another police officer ambushed while performing what should be a routine task," Batiste said. "I'm exceptionally thankful that our trooper is doing well, and very grateful for the assistance we've received from the Pacific County Sheriff's Office and several nearby agencies."
"I know that local citizens are outraged at the ambush of a police officer who has served them so well for so long. We have every confidence that we'll get the tip we need to solve this case," Batiste said Saturday afternoon.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said "My thoughts and prayers are with Trooper Scott Johnson this morning as he recovers from this terrible shooting. Trooper Johnson has spent a lifetime protecting his community - and deserves our love and support at this critical time.
"This shooting is yet another reminder why we need to strengthen the protection of our law enforcement officers, their families and our communities. Trooper Johnson and all of our law enforcement officers put their lives on the line every day to protect and serve us. They are true heroes - and I stand with the entire law enforcement community during this difficult time."
Well-known local trooper
Trooper Johnson is a well-known and well-liked member of the Washington State Patrol's Naselle detachment. He is a 25-year veteran of the state patrol. He was assigned to Pacific County on graduation from the WSP academy in 1984 and has worked the area his entire career (See related story below).
State troopers are taking this one personally as they wait for news of their comrade's recovery.
"This was a blatant, unprovoked assault," Gundermann said. "The public is becoming more aware of what we deal with on a daily basis. Two of the people killed in the Tacoma shooting were good friends of mine. When I heard the call, I did not hesitate to come to Long Beach to help one of our brothers."
Gundermann concluded, "The good news is that Scott Johnson is alert and conscious and he is talking. I guarantee this incident will have a happy ending and we will catch the shooter.
"This is a tight-knit community and somebody knows who the shooter is."
Link to original stop not known
There is no evidence to indicate the DUI arrest and the shooting are related at this point.
Gundermann said that will be part of the investigation and the woman will be interviewed. "She is someone we will be making more contact with, but it is unclear whether she knew the shooter," he said.
Trooper Eaton, who is also based at Naselle, was clearly shaken by the experience. "I finally got home at about 8:30 a.m. this morning and haven't been to sleep yet," he said, mid-morning Saturday.
"You hope there is a reason for something like this, but when there isn't that's not a good deal. It is not a good feeling to know you are doing your job and someone just walks up behind you and tries to kill you."
Eaton planned to drive to OHSU to visit Johnson later Saturday. "I think most of the crew from here is going to go see Scott some time or other today," he said. "I'm happy the doctors say Scott is going to be OK, but something like this just doesn't make sense."
(See related story below)
Reporting team: Kevin Heimbigner, Matt Winters and Damian Mulinix of the Chinook Observer and Patrick Webb of The Daily Astorian.
Noted for sense of humor, trooper was honored in 2004
LONG BEACH - Trooper Scott L. Johnson has spent 24 of his 25 years in the Washington State Patrol stationed in Pacific and Wahkiakum counties.
Johnson's family, including parents Leroy and Linda Johnson of South Bend, and WSP Chief John Batiste are currently with him at Oregon health Science University in Portland.
A friendly and outgoing trooper, Johnson is a familiar presence on local highways and is also well known for his private business, Johnson & Sons Excavating in Naselle. He is a 1980s graduate of South Bend High School.
The Ilwaco American Legion Post honored him as the local Washington State Trooper of the Year in 2004. He was described at the time as "a valuable resource for the Naselle detachment of the Washington State Patrol. He has completed 20 years of service in the patrol, of which 19 of them were spent protecting lives in Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties."
Johnson's acceptance speech brought laughter and applause from the audience.
"Everybody knows I like to talk," he said. He then said that when he prepared for the ceremony, he had dug his old dress shoes out of the back of the closet. He had not worn them in some time. During the evening his son noticed that he was finally taller than his father, a proud moment.
Only later in the evening did Johnson realize what was happening. The bottoms of his shoes were slowly disintegrating, leaving pieces of rubber scattered about the hall. As he left the podium, the audience craned their necks to confirm that, yes, Johnson did leave a trail of black bits wherever he walked.
Johnson would have been honored as the Legion's top local trooper more often, but has steered the award to others in his detachment.
Johnson has four adult children, Derek, Chelsea, Kyle and Jeff. He is not currently married.
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Reader Comments
Posted: Monday, February 15, 2010
Article comment by:
Debra Mobley
What a shock! Scott has truly been an asset to our Naselle community. My oldest daughter and Scotts son went all the way through school together, so I have been acquainted with he and his family for many years. He is truly liked and respected by all of us. I will, as all of our family will keep him and his in our prayers.
Posted: Saturday, February 13, 2010
Article comment by:
Mike Keffeler
We were in the World Mark building at the end of 10th St when this happened, and met several people who knew the trooper. We are just trying to keep up with what is happening.
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