In the pre-dawn hours of April 17, 2021, a fatal encounter unfolded along the Vancouver, Washington waterfront, ending the life of 29-year-old Kin K. Bossy. The man died from a gunshot wound to the chest in an incident that the Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office would later rule a homicide.
The chain of events began around 4:30 a.m. when a newspaper carrier, 35-year-old Justyn Vallandingham, was making deliveries.
Vallandingham had left his car unlocked and running while he dropped off papers at a building. When he returned, he discovered Bossy sitting in the driver's seat of his vehicle. Vallandingham, who held a concealed pistol license, told police that he drew his firearm and pointed it at Bossy. He stated that when Bossy turned and leaned toward the center console, he feared the man was reaching for a weapon and fired his gun. Vallandingham himself called 911 to report the shooting.
When police arrived at the 700 block of Waterfront Way, they found Bossy with gunshot wounds in the driver's seat of Vallandingham's car. Officers attempted life-saving measures, but he was pronounced dead at the scene. During the investigation, it was discovered that a large knife was in Bossy's pocket and he was wearing rubber gloves. No arrests were made at the scene, and Vallandingham was detained for questioning.
Following an investigation by the Vancouver Police Department's Major Crimes Unit, the case was forwarded to the Clark County Prosecuting Attorney's Office for review. The prosecutor's office ultimately declined to file criminal charges against Justyn Vallandingham, concluding he had acted in self-defense. The decision was based on the belief that Vallandingham was in reasonable fear of imminent danger while Bossy was in the process of committing a felony, namely attempting to steal the vehicle. An associate of Bossy later told investigators that Bossy had expressed his intent to steal the car just before the incident.
