Man who tried to hit Vancouver officer released from hospital, booked into jail

The man who tried to hit a police officer with his car, prompting the officer to shoot him, was released from a hospital and booked into jail Tuesday, a police spokeswoman said.  Dominic Tovar, 23, is facing several charges, including first-degree...

01 March 2017 Wednesday 00:09
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Man who tried to hit Vancouver officer released from hospital, booked into jail

The man who tried to hit a police officer with his car, prompting the officer to shoot him, was released from a hospital and booked into jail Tuesday, a police spokeswoman said. 

Dominic Tovar, 23, is facing several charges, including first-degree assault, Kim Kapp of the Vancouver Police Department said in a news release. Officer Ken Suvada, who shot him, remains on leave, which is standard practice after officer-involved shootings.

Video obtained by KPTV shows Suvada firing his weapon five times while Tovar appears to try to back into him. KGW-TV reports Tovar was wanted on a parole violation.

Kapp told The Oregonian/OregonLive on Monday that she didn't know how many times or where Tovar was shot.

Police were helping a state corrections officer arrest Tovar on Main Street on Saturday morning. He tried to hit Suvada with his car, and Suvada fired at him, Kapp said.

Tovar then drove away, hit a car and building, ran away and was arrested, Kapp said. Two people in the car he hit were taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Tovar's female passenger was not arrested, Kapp said.

She said Suvada, 45, is a patrol officer who was first hired by the department in 2002. He's worked in a variety of roles for Vancouver police.

Authorities continue to investigate the incident.

Tovar is also facing first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a controlled substance with intent to deliver, attempting to elude police and hit and run resulting in personal injury charges, Kapp said. He's being held in the Clark County Jail.

-- Jim Ryan
jryan@oregonian.com
503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

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