Prosecutor: Brush shot victim multiple times

Brian Brush reportedly sobbed in Pacific County Superior Court Monday as Prosecutor David Burke told the judge that witnesses watched Brush load rounds into his shotgun and shoot his ex-girlfriend multiple times.

During Brush's initial appearance in the South Bend, Wash., courtroom, Burke recounted the alleged events involving Brush and Long Beach, Wash., resident Lisa Bonney that took place Friday afternoon on the Bolstad Beach Approach in Long Beach. The purpose of the court appearance was to determine whether police had probable cause to arrest 47-year-old Brush.

Burke told the judge that while patrolling the beach on foot, two Raymond, Wash., police officers and one Montesano, Wash., police officer heard what appeared to be a gunshot at about 4:30 p.m.

One officer saw Brush standing about 100 yards away with a shotgun leaned up against his right shoulder. Brush then rapidly chambered another round and fired toward the tall grass along the sidewalk, according to the probable cause statement Burke read aloud in court.

After firing, he loaded another round and fired again, according to the prosecutor.

Brush took a step forward, looked at the officers and threw the shotgun in the grass where he had fired the shots, according to the probable cause statement.

“(Brush) then turned toward the officers and in the process ripped his hat off of his head and threw it into the air in an irate manner,” the prosecutor wrote in the statement. “(He) appeared to be visibly upset.”

Police ordered Brush to the ground, at which point Brush continued walking toward police, threw his hands up in the air and then dropped to the ground, according to the statement.

As one officer handcuffed Brush, another pointed a Taser at the Roseburg-area businessman. One of the officers asked Brush if he had shot at a human, to which Brush responded ‘yes,' according to the court document.

One of the officers walked to the tall grass near the sidewalk and discovered Bonney's body with what appeared to be blood on her back. The officer then noticed that the top of Bonney's head appeared to have been hit with one shotgun round, according to the document.

Bonney, 45, was pronounced dead at the scene. An autopsy concluded that Bonney died from multiple gunshot wounds.

Multiple witnesses told police that they saw Brush and Bonney arguing near a white Ford pickup. Then Brush allegedly grabbed a shotgun out of the back of the pickup and fired at Bonney multiple times, according to the probable cause statement. The pickup was located about 10 yards from where Bonney was killed.

Burke told the judge that the subsequent investigation revealed that Bonney and Brush had what appeared to be a volatile relationship that included at least one purported act of domestic violence, according to the statement.

After hearing the probable cause statement, the judge decided police did have cause to arrest Brush and set his bail at $50 million.

The Pacific County Prosecutor's Office has until 4:30 p.m. Thursday to file formal charges against the North River Boats Inc. owner. Brush will then likely be arraigned and enter a preliminary plea Friday.

• You can reach reporter Marissa Harshman at 957-4202 or by e-mail at mharshman@nrtoday.com.