A witness intervened after a woman loading her infant into a vehicle said another driver punched her and grabbed her arms.
HAZEL DELL, Wash. — A disagreement over a parking space and an open vehicle door escalated into an alleged assault outside a Hazel Dell Walmart, where a woman loading her infant into a vehicle told deputies that another driver punched her and grabbed her arms.
The confrontation led to the arrest of Timothy Coe, 77, of Vancouver, a day later. Clark County sheriff’s deputies took Coe into custody at his residence Nov. 11 and booked him into jail on one count of fourth-degree assault after investigators reviewed information the woman provided from the incident.
Deputies were called at about 10:13 a.m. Nov. 10 to the Walmart at 9000 N.E. Highway 99. The woman reported that she had been placing her infant into her vehicle when another vehicle attempted to enter the neighboring parking space.
According to the woman’s account to investigators, she feared the approaching vehicle might hit her open door. She tapped on the vehicle in an effort to alert its driver. The sheriff’s office said the driver, later identified as Coe, then got out and the two became involved in a verbal confrontation.
The woman told deputies that Coe struck the right side of her face with his left fist and grabbed her arms. Her initial report to authorities said the man also pushed her to the ground. The sheriff’s office has described those details as the woman’s account of the encounter rather than as a court finding.
A witness stepped in and helped separate the two, authorities said. Deputies who met with the woman observed redness on her face, swelling around an eyelid and bruising on her arms. No additional information about medical treatment was released by the sheriff’s office.
The woman also gave investigators video and photographs showing the man and his vehicle, including its license plate. That material provided deputies with evidence they used during the investigation before contacting Coe at his Vancouver home at about 9 a.m. the following day.
The sheriff’s office said Coe was arrested without incident. Under Washington law, fourth-degree assault is generally a gross misdemeanor when an alleged assault does not meet the statutory elements of a higher-degree assault or custodial assault.
Coe is accused of the offense and has not been found guilty. KOIN reported that he posted bail following his arrest and was expected in court Nov. 20. Authorities had not announced any additional charges in the case as of Friday.
Author note: Last updated November 13, 2026.