Former Washougal mayoral candidate Derik Ford has died.
The Washougal Police Department received word of Ford’s death from the Fairview, Ohio, police department on Friday, Oct. 15, according to Washougal sergeant Kyle Kinnan.
Kinnan said the Fairview Police Department did not divulge any additional details about Ford’s death, but said the Ohio police department was at the “very beginning” of its investigation and would likely send a copy of their police report to Washougal police once it was complete.
The Washougal Police Department is “scrambling to get more info” about Ford’s death and hoping to release additional details as soon as Monday, Oct. 19, Kinnan said.
Ford, 45, who owned 2 Rivers Bar and Grill in Washougal and several massage parlors in Oregon, finished in second place in August’s primary election, beating longtime Washougal City Councilman Paul Greenlee for a chance to compete against the top vote-getter, Rochelle Ramos, in the Nov. 2 general election.
Ford suspended his campaign last month, after being arrested on a domestic violence charge on Sept. 15. He was scheduled to appear in court on Nov. 2, and had already pleaded not guilty to a fourth-degree assault in mid-September and, more recently, pleaded not guilty to additional allegations that he violated a no-contact order.
Ford’s name will still appear on Washougal voters’ ballots for the Nov. 2 general and special election.
This is a developing news story. Read The Post-Record’s Oct. 21 print edition or visit camaspostrecord.com for updates.