At approximately 3:17am Hood River Police Officers responded to a nuisance call regarding somebody yelling and throwing fireworks in the 100 block of E. State St. Hood River Police responded to the area and found a man, later identified as Herbert Victor Blount, 38, of Tyrone, GA, running with a shotgun. The man began running through downtown while Police attempted to give the man verbal commands. Blount continued to fire multiple rounds at streetlights as he ran away. Hood River Police Officers, with assistance from the Hood River County Sheriff’s Office, Oregon State Police began searching for Blount. Law Enforcement Officers located Blount near Sherman & 7th St. Blount continued to fire rounds and one deputy was hit by shotgun pellets. The deputy was not injured. There were no injuries to the general public reported. Police and deputies lost sight of Blount and organized a widespread search as more resources came on scene. Personnel from The Dalles City Police and Sherman County Sheriff’s Office assisted as well.
Blount was located by a Sheriff’s Office airplane on the Indian Creek trail at 5:41am. Blount was found deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gun-shot wound. No shots were fired by law enforcement during this incident. If you have any information related to this incident, please contact Hood River Police Detective Erin Mason (541)387-5256.
This is an ongoing investigation. There is no additional information available at this time.