Suspect information released in Zigzag shooting of firefighter

Vehicle, suspect's description provided by passerby

By Marcus Hathcock

The Clackamas Review, Dec 19, 2007, Updated Oct 30, 2009

This sketch of a suspect in the case was released by the Oregon State Police.

Oregon State Police / Clackamas Review

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State police say they have a description of the suspect's vehicle in the Dec. 10 shooting of a Clackamas County Fire District #1 firefighter.

Police say a man who drove by the scene just after the two vehicles pulled over provided the information, describing the vehicle as a dark green early 2000 model Honda Civic.

The incident occurred in Zigzag when Joshua Gehrke, a 32-year-old firefighter/paramedic with the district, was shot while traveling home from Mt. Hood after snowboarding with his son, a friend, and his brother-in-law. The latter, 33-year-old Joseph Langley, was also shot.

Gehrke was released home fromt he hospital earlier this month.

Police said the incident on the side of Highway 26 near Lolo Pass Road in Zigzag appears to be a random act sparked by road rage.

According to Lt. Gregg Hastings of the Oregon State Police, Langley and Gehrke were driving westbound at approximately 10 p.m. in a minivan with Gehrke’s 9-year-old son and his son’s 9-year-old friend. Hastings said Langley pulled over to let a tailgating car pass, but the car pulled over, too. The car did not pass the van even though it was on a four-lane highway.

At least one man then got out of the car, and shots were fired after a verbal exchange, police said.

Langley was shot in the arm while Gehrke was shot in the chest and was taken to Welches Middle School, where he was taken by LifeFlight helicopter to Oregon Health & Science University Hospital in Portland. He was listed in serious condition Tuesday.

Langley was taken by ambulance to OHSU Hospital with a serious injury. He was later released.

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