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THE ASTORIAN • SATURDAY, JULY 24, 2021
IN BRIEF
Dismal Nitch shooting
believed to be self-defense
LONG BEACH, Wash. — Authorities have
described an early morning shooting at Dismal Nitch
on July 5 as self-defense.
A man was sleeping in the bed of his truck when he
woke to someone trying to break the windows out of
his canopy, according to law enforcement.
The suspect was armed with a blunt object. The vic-
tim allegedly confronted the man and was struck with
the item multiple times and suff ered an injury.
“(The victim) then shot the guy with the club in
self-defense,” Pacifi c County Chief Criminal Deputy
Pat Matlock said. “The guy who got shot was trans-
ported to Columbia Memorial Hospital in Astoria and
then was shipped out with a gunshot wound to the
abdomen” by helicopter to a trauma center in Portland.
The victim was released after being interviewed by
law enforcement and is not expected to face charges.
“The case is still active,” Matlock said. “However,
charges are expected to be fi led against the man who
was shot.”
The suspect survived his injuries, but neither his
name nor the victim’s name has been released due to
the ongoing investigation.
— Chinook Observer
State fi nes Fishhawk Fisheries
for wastewater issues
Fishhawk Fisheries in Astoria is facing a state fi ne
tied to seafood processing operations.
The state claims the company, owned by Steve Fick,
exceeded pollutant limits allowed under its wastewa-
ter permit. Fishhawk Fisheries had been cited for going
over these limits during multiple months in 2018, 2019
and 2020.
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality
has issued a penalty of $6,200.
Fick said he is working with the state.
Photos by Hailey Hoff man/The Astorian
Pallbearers from the Astoria Police Department and the Clatsop County Sheriff ’s Offi ce take Astoria Police Offi cer Sam Whisler’s
casket out of the Seaside Civic and Convention Center.
A CELEBRATION OF LIFE
The Astorian
Police update information on
vehicle break-ins in Warrenton
WARRENTON — Police have released updated
information on a series of vehicle break-ins that took
place on Tuesday morning.
According to police, one occurred at about 4:45 a.m.
at Pacifi c Rim Apartments on Snowberry Lane. Sur-
veillance footage captured a Subaru Forester — not a
Honda CR-V — roll into the parking lot. Suspects then
broke into vehicles. In addition, a Ford pickup in the lot
— not a Toyota — that was stolen that morning from
Rod’s Auto & Marine was found damaged and burgled.
Around the same time the Ford was stolen, another
vehicle break-in occurred at TJ’s Auto Repair, police
believe.
LEFT: Whisler’s wife, Christin, walks out of the service with a folded American fl ag. The fl ag
serves as a monument to her late husband. RIGHT: The hearse holding Whisler departs Astoria
in a motorcade to Seaside.
County continues vaccine
task force updates
After announcing that the July 16 vaccine task force
update would be the last, Clatsop County has chosen
to continue weekly updates on vaccinations against the
coronavirus.
“After more discussion we’ve decided to continue
the update for the time being,” a county spokesman
said in an email on Friday.
The county set a goal of having 70% of the popula-
tion — 27,533 people — vaccinated to try to achieve
herd immunity against the virus. As of Friday, 55.6%
— 21,949 people — had been fully vaccinated.
— The Astorian
MEMORIALS
Saturday, July 31
Memorial
DONOVAN, Nancy
Joan — Celebration of
life from 1 to 4 p.m.,
Wickiup Grange, 92683
Svensen Market Road.
SHELLABARGER,
Steve and Joyce — Cele-
bration of life and potluck
from 12:30 to 4 p.m., Big
Creek Lodge, 92878 Water-
house Road in Knappa.
Whisler’s family members, including his wife and two children, sat in the front row at the
celebration of life service.
A law enforcement
procession made its way
from Astoria to Seaside
on Wednesday afternoon
to honor the late Astoria
Police Offi cer Sam Whis-
ler at the Seaside Civic and
Convention Center .
Whisler, 26, died at
home unexpectedly on
July 9 from natural causes.
He leaves behind his wife,
Christin, and two young
children.
Astoria Mayor Bruce
Jones called Whisler “a
true public servant.”
Whisler was known for
his friendly, positive atti-
tude. He volunteered with
the Clatsop County Sher-
iff ’s Offi ce search and res-
cue team as a teenager and
later became an enforce-
ment cadet and then a
reserve deputy with the
agency. He also volun-
teered with the Gearhart
Fire Department and was a
lifeguard and rescue swim-
mer for the Seaside Fire
Department before joining
the Astoria Police Depart-
ment in 2020.
“Sam was truly a ded-
icated offi cer who left a
positive impact with every-
one he touched,” Astoria
Police Chief Geoff Spald-
ing said.
ON THE RECORD
Strangulation
arrested Wednesday at
On
the McClellan
Record
• Peter
Eighth and Duane streets
Santiago Stucky, 38, was
indicted July 8 for stran-
gulation, assault in the
fourth degree, menacing
and harassment.
Theft
• Brandon Pridgen,
42, and Amber Rus-
sell, 33, of Florida, were
for theft involving a sto-
len gun.
DUII
• Stephen Craig John-
son, 73, was arrested
Thursday evening on
U.S. Highway 101 for
driving under the infl u-
ence of intoxicants.
An attendee holds a photo of Whisler.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
MONDAY
Astoria School District Board, 7 p.m., (electronic meeting).
Seaside City Council, 7 p.m., City Hall, 989 Broadway.
TUESDAY
Astoria Planning Commission, 5:30 p.m., City Hall, 1095
Duane St.
Seaside Airport Advisory Committee, 6 p.m., City Hall, 989
Broadway.
Warrenton City Commission, 6 p.m., City Hall, 225 S. Main Ave.
PUBLIC MEETINGS
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Mark Whisler speaks about his son’s life from childhood to his
early death at 26.
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LEFT: The Portland Police Highland Guard opened the service. RIGHT: Astoria Police Chief Geoff Spalding spoke about his time
working with Whisler, who joined the Astoria Police Department in 2020.