The Clark County Sheriff’s Office has released body camera and patrol vehicle footage from a July 30 incident in downtown Vancouver, where deputies fatally shot 36-year-old Branden Michael Whitcomb following a reported threat against his parents.
According to the sheriff’s office, a 911 caller reported that their son, allegedly high on methamphetamine, had broken into their home armed with a gun and threatened to kill them before leaving on a bicycle. Vancouver police later spotted Whitcomb, confirming he was still armed, and alerted deputies.
Deputy Michael Gonzalez, identified as the officer who fired the fatal shots, confronted Whitcomb near Main Street and East 19th Street. The encounter, which took place roughly four minutes after Whitcomb was first spotted, escalated quickly.
The video begins with Gonzalez following a man on a bike before making a U-turn and pulling over as additional law enforcement arrived. As officers approached, Whitcomb abandoned his bicycle and moved toward a storefront. Gonzalez can be heard commanding him to get on the ground, warning, “You’re gonna get shot.”
Whitcomb dropped to his knees but continued to move forward with his arms positioned in front of his chest. The footage shows Gonzalez repeating the warning and ordering him to drop what he was holding, though the object is not clearly visible in the video. When Whitcomb began to lift himself higher, Gonzalez fired four shots in rapid succession.
Whitcomb fell backward, and a clattering sound, possibly from a weapon, was heard hitting the sidewalk. Gonzalez then called for medical assistance, instructing other officers to secure the scene and move Whitcomb away from the gun lying near his head.
Medics later pronounced Whitcomb dead at the scene from multiple gunshot wounds to the head, neck, and torso. Gonzalez, following standard procedure, has been placed on leave while the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations reviews the case.
The sheriff’s office said deputies provided first aid before medics arrived. The investigation remains ongoing.
