Standoff with armed gunman ends peacefully

SWAT team called in to negotiate with Estacada man

By Evan Jensen

The Estacada News, Nov 20, 2009

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At 10:22 p.m., deputies at the rear entrance of the residence saw Hatcher exit the residence with rifle in hand. While the Special Weapon and Tactics Team was being mobilized, deputies continued to try and make contact with Hatcher, then heard two gunshots fired in their direction.

“The stationed deputies on the perimeter could hear the rounds whipping through the tree line in close proximity to where they were positioned,” CCSO Capt. Kevin Layng said.

At 11:16 p.m., SWAT negotiators made contact with Hatcher by phone and continued to attempt to calm him and develop an exit plan to take Hatcher into custody without anyone getting hurt.

“Clackamas County’s SWAT negotiators receive extensive training in the art of communicating with people in challenging situations, especially those with mental-health issues,” Strovink said. “… An estimated 35 percent of all inmates at the Clackamas County Jail suffer from some form of mental-health issue.”

SWAT negotiators were able to take Hatcher into custody without incident and transport him to the Clackamas County Jail. Upon collecting evidence from the scene, investigators found that the .22-caliber weapon Hatcher fired had malfunctioned and one round was found jammed in the chamber, making the weapon inoperable.

“This incident involves a man mixing his medication with alcohol, destroying his home, chasing his family from the resident, and then arming himself with a rifle…” Strovink said. “… but it did have a successful conclusion. He was safely brought into police custody, with no injuries to anyone. … The SWAT negotiators did a commendable job, calmly managing a difficult and threatening subject on the phone and securing a peaceful surrender.”

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