Critically injured Mount Vernon officer shows major improvements

A Mount Vernon officer who was shot in the head during a standoff situation continues to show signs of improvement.

Though Officer Mike McClaughry remains in critical condition, his breathing tube was successfully removed this week, according to information posted on a Facebook page supporting the injured officer.

“So far he is breathing well on his own!” the post reads.

Related: Mount Vernon officer hailed as community leader

Additionally, McClaughry was downgraded on the head trauma scale.

“Still not out of the woods but the improvements are major!” the post ends.

McClaughry was shot while canvassing a neighborhood in Mount Vernon earlier this month. He and other officers were looking for witnesses to a report of a shooting.

Since then, Ernesto Lee Rivas has been charged with attempted first-degree murder. Rivas, an alleged gang member, is being held on $1 million bail. He was taken into custody following an hours-long standoff, during which authorities say he repeatedly fired at officers.

According to court records, he has not admitted to shooting McClaughry.

Two boys, ages 15 and 16, who were in the house with Rivas during the standoff, were also charged Tuesday with attempted first-degree murder in the officer shooting. The teens additionally were charged with attempted second-degree murder in connection with the earlier shooting.

A GoFundMe page was setup to help support McClaughry and his family. As of Wednesday morning, it had raised just over $41,000 in 11 days.

The shooting in Mount Vernon followed the deadly shooting of Tacoma Officer Reginald “Jake” Gutierrez. Officer Gutierrez, 45 and father of three, was killed responding to a domestic-violence call that came on Nov. 30.

PHOTOS: Memorial for fallen Tacoma officer Jake Gutierrez

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