Bellingham man killed in officer-involved shooting in Maple Falls
A 36-year-old Bellingham man was fatally shot by a Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputy while being taken into custody Sunday in Maple Falls.
Luis Fernandez, 36, and Kayla James, 38, of Bellingham were identified by police as suspects in a shooting on the 3500 block of N. Red River Road in Ferndale around 4:20 a.m. Saturday that left a 34-year-old man in critical condition.
Bellingham Police Department Chief Rebecca Mertzig said WCSO learned that Fernandez and James were at a property on the 7700 block of Kendall Road in Maple Falls. The WCSO Special Response Unit, which is composed of the Crisis Negotiations Team and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, went to the property on Sunday.
Mertzig said shots were fired while the suspects were being taken into custody, though no reason was stated. Fernandez was injured in the shooting and died at the scene.
WCSO declined to respond to questions about the shooting or the employment status of the officer who shot Fernandez.
James was booked into Whatcom County Jail on Lummi Nation Police charges of two counts of attempted homicide, robbery and residential burglary.
The Law Enforcement Multi-Agency Team (LEMART) is conducting an independent investigation of the officer-involved shooting. BPD is leading the effort.
Anyone with information about the officer-involved shooting is asked to contact LEMART by calling 360-778-8611 or online at cob.org/tips.
Lummi Nation Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are continuing to investigate the shooting in Ferndale. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 800-225-5324.