Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office

05/29/2026

This week, the Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office was honored to stand alongside the Kelso Police Department, Woodland Police Department WA, and Longview Police Department in support of our incredible local Special Olympic athletes.
On May 26th, law enforcement agencies joined athletes, families, and community members at Riverside Park for a special event celebrating the dedication and spirit of these competitors. Today, May 29th, we were proud to es**rt our local athletes out of town as they headed to compete in their Washington State Special Olympics events.
The determination, sportsmanship, and positivity these athletes demonstrate inspire us all. We wish each and every athlete the very best of luck as they compete this weekend. Your community is cheering you on every step of the way!
Good luck athletes!!!

05/29/2026

A26-11184
KIDNAPPING/RAPE ARREST

At 0552 hours of May 28, 2026, Cowlitz 911 received a report of a kidnapping situation. Deputies responded to the area of Austin Point near Woodland and contacted two females who had flagged over a passerby for help.
Deputies learned the two females had been at a club in Portland and called an Uber for a ride home. A friend recommended a male at the club, identified as 33-year-old Jacob A. Meyer of Woodland, could drive them home instead. The females accepted a ride from Meyer who initially drove toward their Portland home, but then changed directions, and drove to a wooded area in Washington near Austin Point, arriving at around 0400 hours.
The females said Meyer refused to drive them home and demanded sexual favors. Meyer reportedly presented a knife and made threats to kill the females, and then sexually assaulted one of the females.
Deputies, with assistance from Woodland Police, located Meyer nearby and placed him under arrest. Meyer was booked into Cowlitz County Jail on charges of Kidnapping 2nd Degree (2 counts), R**e 2nd Degree, Indecent Liberties, and Felony Harassment (2 counts).

Undersheriff Troy Brightbill
Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office

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05/26/2026

𝐅𝐎𝐑 𝐈𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄
𝐌𝐚𝐲 𝟐𝟔, 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔, 𝟒:𝟐𝟓 𝐩.𝐦.

𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓 𝐔𝐏𝐃𝐀𝐓𝐄: 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭 – 𝐍𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠

LONGVIEW, WASH - Emergency responders continue recovery and stabilization operations at Nippon Dynawave Packaging following Tuesday morning’s industrial incident involving the rupture of a tank containing white liquor at the facility located at 3401 Industrial Way.

Recovery efforts remain complex due to ongoing safety concerns at the site. While originally believed to contain approximately 80,000 gallons, officials now report the tank held approximately 900,000 gallons of white liquor. Longview Fire and Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue estimate roughly 90,000 gallons of material may remain inside the damaged tank.

Currently, the tank remains unstable, creating hazardous conditions for emergency personnel. Responders are continuing efforts to structurally reinforce and stabilize the site before additional recovery operations can safely proceed.

These conditions continue to impact portions of the facility and limit access to some areas of the site. Officials state there is currently no direct threat to the surrounding community.

Recovery operations remain focused on safely accessing all affected areas of the facility, recovering victims, and supporting impacted families, while ensuring the safety of emergency responders working within unstable conditions.

Emergency responders have confirmed:
• 10 individuals were transported to area hospitals:
o 8 employee injuries
o 1 firefighter injury
o 1 fatality

Officials can also confirm there are 9 employees who remain unaccounted for. All identified families have now been notified.

Numerous local, regional, and state agencies continue coordinating response and recovery operations alongside facility personnel.

State officials are planning a visit to the site. The site will continue to be monitored overnight, but recovery efforts will not resume until tomorrow due to ongoing safety concerns.

This is the final scheduled public update for today. Additional verified information will be released as it becomes available.

Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co.
Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue
Longview, Washington - City of Longview
Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office

05/21/2026

The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office business office will be closed May 25th in recognition of Memorial Day. Deputies will still be patrolling as usual and 911 dispatch will still take emergency and non-emergency reports.

05/19/2026

The Sheriff's Office would like to announce recent personnel changes. Detective Sergeant Ryan Cruser retired on April 30th after a 30-year career with CCSO. He served as a Deputy, Drug Task Force Agent, Sergeant, Field Training Officer, and Boat Operator. We wish him well on a very deserved retirement!

Landen Jones was promoted to Sergeant to fill the position left open by Sgt. Cruser's departure. Sgt. Jones has been with CCSO since 2014 after serving in the United States Army. He has been a Officer in Charge as well as a member of Lower Columbia SWAT. Congratulations as you accept a leadership role with the Sheriff's Office.

Sheriff Brad Thurman

05/19/2026

Operation Dry Water is July 3-5, 2026. Cowlitz County waterways are packed with activities all summer, however with Independence Day falling on a weekend this year, we anticipate even more citizens enjoying our local water. The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office is once again participating in the national Operation Dry Water campaign over the 4th of July weekend. The Sheriff's Office will have increased patrols during the campaign weekend where our goal is to promote water safety and remove drug and alcohol impaired vessel operators from our waterways. Alcohol remains the #1 contributing factor in fatal boating incidents so please celebrate safely and enjoy the lakes and rivers responsibly.

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05/17/2026

Please join us in supporting our local Special Olympics athletes!
The Cowlitz County Sheriff’s Office, along with our local law enforcement partners, will be participating in a community walk/run alongside Special Olympics athletes on Tuesday, May 26, 2026, at 3 p.m. at Riverside Park.

We invite community members to come cheer on the athletes and participants as they make their way around the 3/4 mile loop along the park path. Your encouragement and support help make this event truly special for these incredible athletes!

Bring your family, friends, signs, and smiles as we celebrate inclusion, community, and the spirit of Special Olympics.