Cowlitz Tribal Public Safety Dept.’s interim chief dies of self-inflicted gunshot

The Cowlitz Tribal Public Safety Department’s interim chief died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound Wednesday after he allegedly fled a northeast Vancouver residence where a burglary was reported, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.

Charles Gardiner previously served as a commander with the Cowlitz Indian Tribal Police, deputy director of the Cowlitz Indian Tribal Public Safety Department and a trooper with the Washington State Patrol for 25 years, according to his LinkedIn profile.

About 9:45 p.m. Wednesday, Clark County sheriff’s deputies responded to a report of an occupied residential burglary in the 9000 block of Northeast 79th Street.

The caller reported a man was inside the residence. The man later ran away, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.

Law enforcement searched the area and located a vehicle with Gardiner’s body inside. Evidence suggested that he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff’s office said he matched the intruder’s description.

The Clark County Sheriff’s Office Major Crimes Unit is investigating, including the circumstances of why Gardiner was in the residence, according to the news release.