State office releases name of officer who shot suspected armed man
May 29-The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations has released the name of the Vancouver police officer who shot a man allegedly wielding a knife during a home break-in Tuesday.
Alexander Zaferis, 29, was one of three officers who responded about 6:35 a.m. to a call reporting a residential burglary in the 10900 block of Northeast 48th Street.
A woman called 911 to report she awoke to the sound of someone smashing her windows and believed the intruder to be a man she knew who had attempted to break into her home days earlier, according to a police news release.
When officers arrived, they found the woman had been waiting in her car for police to arrive. The officers encountered a man wielding a knife and moving toward the woman, the news release states. Police said the man refused to drop the weapon despite repeated orders.
Zaferis shot the man, according to the police department. Investigators have not yet said how many times Zaferis fired his weapon.
Neighbors told The Columbian they heard three or four shots.
Officers provided medical aid until paramedics arrived to take the man to a local hospital for treatment, according to the police news release. Authorities have not yet released his identity.
No officers were injured. Emergency dispatch logs show the shooting happened at 6:49 a.m.
Zaferis was hired by the Vancouver Police Department in July 2022 and is assigned to the tactical services unit, according to the Office of Independent Investigations.
Zaferis and two witness officers have been placed on critical incident leave, per standard protocol, according to the police department.
Once the independent investigation is complete, the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office will review it to determine if the use of force was justified.
The incident still is under investigation. Anyone with information related to the shooting is asked to call the Office of Independent Investigations tip line at 564-233-8119.
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This story was originally published May 29, 2026 at 5:56 PM.