CATHLAMET, Wahkiakum County The sheriff of Wahkiakum County in southwest Washington has died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, a county spokeswoman said Tuesday.

Sheriff Jon Dearmore, 50, died about 5 p.m. at his home, spokeswoman Marsha LaFarge said.

The sheriffs office received a call from Dearmores wife reporting a gunshot in his home, the spokeswoman said, adding she did not know whether anyone witnessed the shooting.

LaFarge said she did not know the circumstances of the shooting at the home, which is in the Rosburg area in the west end of the county. Wahkiakum County lies along the Columbia River.

Dearmore had been sheriff for two years and had been in law enforcement for more than 25 years, LaFarge said.

The Cowlitz County sheriffs office will handle the investigation, she said.

Dearmore is survived by his wife and a college-age daughter, the spokeswoman said.