Scappoose police employee honored for her actions during 2022 shooting at Grumpy's Towing

It is far from easy staying calm in a dangerous situation, such as the shooting that took place March 31, 2022, at Grumpy's Towing in Scappoose.

But the office administrator at the Scappoose Police Department, Timmi Sue Hald, did just that. Over two years later, she was honored at a Scappoose City Council meeting for keeping her cool and helping Jay White, who works at Grumpy's, stay as calm as possible under dire conditions.

During the 2022 incident, Columbia County Sheriff Brian Pixley and Oregon State Police Sgt. Chad Drew fatally shot 39-year-old Michael Stockton after responding to a report of a disturbance at Grumpy's. Stockton was fatally shot after he fired at Pixley. Neither law enforcement officer was injured in the gunfire.

The Spotlight reported at the time that Stockton, who was suspected of murder in Gresham, arrived at the tow yard and demanded that they release a rental car that had been impounded as evidence in the murder case. While it was a tense scene, it was Hald, not even at the scene of the crime, who helped a local employee keep his wits about him in the face of danger.

At the council meeting Aug. 19, Hald was honored with a plaque that read, “In special recognition of Timmi Sue Hald for her dedicated service to the Scappoose community and for her actions on March 31, 2022, while helping console a fellow community member during a critical incident involving our partners at Grumpy’s towing.”

Describing the unfolding events on the day of the shooting, Interim Chief of Police Chris Fluellen said, “Hald was able to get in contact with White … She was able to get his mind straight and find the emotional support that he needed at the time.”

Hald, who also serves as a clerk for the Scappoose Municipal Court, was not at the scene of the shooting, but provided support for White. “She was able to hear what was going on,” Fluellen said.

Speaking of the recognition that Hald received, Fluellen said, “It took some time, but Jay reached out to me and gave me the confidence to help do this. We wanted to recognize her and the role that she provided, even though she wasn’t a responding officer.”

Fluellen said Hald was a big influence in making sure nobody else was injured. White, talking with the Spotlight, recognized Hald’s efforts at calming the situation.

“I wanted to make sure she got the recognition,” White said. “I was trying to do a good thing for Timmi because she had my back the whole time. She’s a great person. She reached out to me and made sure I knew I had somebody to lean on if I needed somebody.”