Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office
On May 5, 2024 at approximately 6:07 A.M., Klickitat County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Fred Kilian received a duty supervisor call from the 911 Dispatcher. Sergeant Kilian was told a male subject was having a psychotic episode at the Red Barn RV Park located at 2297 Dallesport Road, Space #24, in Dallesport. The reporting party was the male subject’s mother. Sergeant Kilian called out Deputies Tim Neher and Erik Beasley who were on standby duty to respond to the call.
Around 7:00 A.M., Sergeant Kilian was advised that Deputy Neher had just arrived at the above address and Deputy Beasley was about 30 seconds from arriving at the address.
A short time later, Sergeant Killian heard some yelling over the police radio. When Sergeant Kilian arrived at the above location, he saw Deputies Neher and Beasley attempting to take a male subject into custody. They were struggling with the male subject on the ground in an attempt to get him into custody. The male subject was later identified as Christian Smith. Sergeant Kilian assisted Deputies Neher and Beasley in getting Smith handcuffed and into custody.
After Christian Smith was in custody, Sergeant Kilian learned from Deputies Neher and Beasley that Deputy Neher was talking to the mother, (the reporting party) outside of her trailer, when Christian Smith, who lives with his mother, came running out from behind the trailer and hit Deputy Neher on the head with a hammer.
Deputy Neher received serious head injuries and is currently in a hospital being treated. At this time the name of the hospital is not being released.
Sergeant Kilian placed Christian Ray Smith, age 31, under arrest for FIRST DEGREE ATTEMPTED MURDER of Klickitat County Deputy Sheriff Tim Neher and booked Christian Ray Smith into the Klickitat County Jail.