Camas man, on a unicycle, pointed a gun at Clark County deputies before being shot, say court records

A man accused of violating a domestic violence no-contact order was riding a unicycle as law enforcement responded to his Camas house for reports of gunfire Wednesday night. He then pointed a gun at officers before he was shot by a Clark County sheriff’s deputy, court records state.

Patrick Wetzel, 41, appeared Friday in Clark County Superior Court on suspicion of first-degree burglary, second-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, reckless endangerment, aiming/discharging a firearm and protection order violation.

Judge Christine Hayes set his bail at $500,000, and he’s scheduled to be arraigned Nov. 27. If he posts bail, the judge ordered he be fitted with a GPS monitor and be required to show proof he surrendered all of his firearms.

Defense attorney Renee Alsept said she has concerns about Wetzel’s mental health. She said she may later ask the court to have his mental health evaluated.

Court records state Wetzel’s estranged wife obtained a civil protection order against him last week, which prohibited him from coming within 1,000 feet of her house in the 2300 block of Northeast Everett Street or from possessing firearms.

Investigators say Wetzel’s behavior over the past few weeks has been erratic, including staging guns at entry points to the house and breaking into his own gun safe. Camas police said Wetzel was texting his wife things like “next step corner and kill” and a picture of a gun saying it was “talking to him.” She said he also sent her messages threatening to die by police, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Camas police officers had driven past the house multiple times in the past week and spotted Wetzel or his vehicle there. Each time officers approached, they were unable to take Wetzel into custody, court records state.

Camas police responded about 8 p.m. Wednesday to a report of shots heard near the house. A 911 caller reported hearing a single rifle shot in the area. A responding officer couldn’t find the source of the gunshot. But while the officer was in the area, he saw Wetzel drive by, according to the affidavit.

About two hours later, officers were again dispatched to the house for reports of shots heard. This time, three different neighbors reported hearing gunshots coming from behind the house, the affidavit states.

Camas police responded nearby and waited for more resources from area agencies, such as a drone, an armored vehicle and a police K-9. While officers were waiting, they said they heard intermittent gunshots, court records state.

When more law enforcement officers arrived, they used a drone to see a man, later identified as Wetzel, on a unicycle leaving the property and heading toward a market down the street. Wetzel returned to the house on the unicycle a few minutes later, according to the affidavit.

Wetzel began yelling at officers to get off his property, and he allegedly pointed a gun at officers inside an armored SWAT vehicle, the affidavit states.

At some point, Wetzel got inside his car in the house’s driveway, and a deputy subsequently shot him, court records state. The affidavit does not detail the moments leading up to the shooting. No one else, including law enforcement officers, was injured during the incident.

Wetzel was taken to PeaceHealth Southwest Medical Center in Vancouver for treatment, the affidavit states. He was released and booked into the Clark County Jail on Thursday.

Investigators with the Washington State Patrol searched Wetzel’s car and the house Thursday. They said they found a pistol in his car and five shell casings in the backyard of the house. A tree in the yard appeared to have been struck by gunfire, along with a fence and two vehicles parked behind the house, according to court records.

Inside the house, investigators said they found a loaded magazine that would’ve been compatible with the pistol found in Wetzel’s car. Lights in the house were on, along with the fireplace, and investigators said they found mail with Wetzel’s name on it upstairs. They also found a shell casing on a night stand, the affidavit states.