Suspect in Lummi Nation police officer shooting misidentified with “false” name
Authorities investigating the shooting of a Lummi Nation police officer on Monday originally misidentified the suspect after he allegedly provided a false name.
“The name given to law enforcement yesterday was false. Investigators are working to confirm his identity,” Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office Public Information Officer Deb Slater told The Bellingham Herald on Tuesday.
Authorities provided a name and photo of the arrested suspect at a press conference shortly after his arrest on Monday afternoon. The Herald chose not to identify the suspect or publish the photo upon his arrest, as the publication does not typically name suspects until formal charges are filed.
The Herald did, however, publish the suspect’s age and that he had a history of drug charges known to the Sheriff’s Office, based on information provided at the press conference. The Herald did not independently verify this information before publication and has not yet been able to confirm that this information aligns with the true identity of the suspect.
The 37-year-old police officer, who has not yet been identified by authorities, was investigating a traffic incident when he was shot. A vehicle drove off the roadway into a ditch in the 3200 block of North Red River Road. The officer was checking on the driver just before 1 a.m. when he was shot multiple times. The suspect fled on foot and was arrested before 2 p.m. on Monday.
The officer was transported for medical care and underwent surgery. He was in stable condition Monday afternoon, authorities said at the press conference. The officer has been with the Lummi Nation Police Department for less than a year, after transferring to the department from another state, Sheriff Donnell Tanksley said at the news conference.
A fundraiser to support the officer and his family was set up through the Lhaq’temish Foundation on Tuesday in response to community requests, according to a social media post by the Lummi Indian Business Council.
“A brave Lummi Nation Police Officer was shot in the line of duty. This fund covers medical and other related expenses,” the fundraiser said.
The suspect was arrested on suspicion of attempted murder and remains in custody at the Whatcom County Jail as of Wednesday morning.
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