Disturbance with a weapon leads to Camas council member’s arrest and recovery of firearm

Date: Friday, September 13, 2024

Washougal River Greenway Trail Pedestrian Bridge. Photo courtesy city of Camas

On Friday, detectives contacted and arrested John Vincent Svilarich for misdemeanor crimes of Reckless Endangerment and Aiming/Discharging a Firearm
On Friday (Sept. 13), Camas Police Department detectives contacted and arrested John Vincent Svilarich for misdemeanor crimes of Reckless Endangerment and Aiming/Discharging a Firearm. Svilarich is a member of the Camas City Council.

John Svilarich

On Aug. 31 at about 7:52 a.m., the Camas Police Department responded to a disturbance involving a firearm along the Washougal River Greenway in the city of Camas. 

The disturbance began as a verbal argument between a fisherman along the river, and a pedestrian who was walking along the greenway trail and over the pedestrian footbridge. The argument escalated to the point where an 8-inch rock was thrown from the bridge and down towards the fisherman below. The altercation continued along the walking path and the pedestrian brandished a handgun and aimed it towards the fisherman. 

The involved parties and witnesses were interviewed by officers on the day of the incident. The pedestrian with the handgun was identified as 66-year-old John Vincent Svilarich. Follow up investigation of the incident was later conducted by Camas Police detectives. On Friday (Sept. 13) detectives contacted and arrested Svilarich for misdemeanor crimes of Reckless Endangerment and Aiming/Discharging a Firearm. He was processed at the Camas Police Department and released.  The handgun used in the incident was surrendered to detectives.  

Information provided by Camas Police Department. 

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