A Canby resident was arrested this morning after experiencing what police described as a mental health crisis and firing at least one shot in the direction of officers attempting to respond to the scene.
Mark Andrew Hill, 49, fired a handgun “towards” Canby police officers shortly after they arrived in the 1600 block of South Elm Street, according to Lt. Jorge Tro.
“It was definitely towards officers,” Tro said, when asked if Hill intentionally fired on police. “We’re still finding out intent, but (he) definitely (fired) towards officers when they approached. … When they arrived, they heard one shot coming towards them, and it actually hit a house that was right next to the officers.”
The officers did not return fire, Tro said, but instead hung back and waited for backup, which included deputies from the Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office. The combined force was able to locate and communicate with Hill using a megaphone. The suspect cooperated and was taken into custody without further incident.
Tro praised the actions of his officers, as well as other residents, who followed police commands to remain safely in their homes.
“It was a very intense and dynamic situation, but the officers did a great job,” Tro said. “And the neighbors did a great job, staying inside and getting out of the way.”
Dispatch had received the call at approximately 7 a.m., reporting a man firing shots for reasons that remain unclear. Despite rumors that it began as a domestic incident, Lt. Tro said Hill lives alone and there was no one else involved in the shooting.
No one was harmed, before or after police arrived, though Hill’s bullets struck and damaged several homes.
“Normally, this is a quiet and peaceful neighborhood, but this morning, it wasn’t,” Lt. Tro said. “It was pretty scary. A couple rounds hit some houses and actually did go through (the walls), and there were people inside.”
Amber Law lives a few houses down from Hill in Village on the Lochs and said patrol cars are a very rare sight in the manufactured home community, which is tucked away in south Canby near Hope Village and the Molalla River.
“I’ve lived here for three years and have never had an issue with (him),” she said of Hill.
She described what sounded like a terrifying scene this morning.
“(He) kept screaming that he wanted someone to call the police and that none of the cops were real,” she said. “He kept saying none of it was real. The police handled it very well, did a great job apprehending him without further incident.”
As of Monday, Hill remains in custody at the Clackamas County Jail, facing charges of attempted murder (aggravated), four counts of unlawful use of a weapon and four counts of menacing.
Photo by Amber Law.
