He fired a gun toward another man’s feet outside the AM/PM, Bellingham Police say
A 31-year-old Bellingham man with a lengthy criminal history is suspected of firing a gun toward another man early Saturday morning at a convenience store on Meridian Street.
Bellingham Police booked Dustin Monroe Wilson into Whatcom County Jail Tuesday morning on suspicion of drive-by shooting and unlawful possession of a firearm. He is being held on $50,000 bail, according to jail records.
According to information provided by Lt. Claudia Murphy Wednesday in an email to The Bellingham Herald, police responded at 5 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 10 to a call about shots fired at the AM/PM in the 4200 block of Meridian Street.
Shortly before police were called, Murphy said, the victim — a 35-year-old male — and his female friend were driving in the area of Meridian and Interstate 5 when they noticed an SUV behind them and believed they were being followed. The victim pulled into the AM/PM and got out of his car to speak to the driver of the SUV.
The passenger of the SUV, who was later identified as Wilson, asked the victim if he was “feeling froggy” and got out of the SUV, Murphy said.
Wilson then walked to the back of the SUV toward the victim, and the victim reported seeing a black pistol tucked in Wilson’s waistband, Murphy said.
The driver of the SUV also got out of the car and the victim told police he felt surrounded “like he was going to get jumped,” Murphy said, so he punched both the SUV driver and Wilson.
Wilson then allegedly drew his gun and fired at the victim but missed, hitting the ground near the victim’s feet. Nobody was injured in the incident, Murphy said.
Wilson and the driver then reportedly got back in the SUV and drove off.
Police recovered a bullet at the scene and used surveillance video and lineups to identify Wilson as the shooter, Murphy said.
Wilson was later contacted at 1:21 a.m. Tuesday during a traffic stop near East McLeod and Telegraph roads in Bellingham, Murphy said, and he was taken into custody without incident.
A gun was found in the car, which was a different model than the SUV in Saturday’s incident. Tests are needed to determine whether it is the same gun that was fired last weekend, Murphy said.
According to court records, Wilson has 12 previous felony convictions in Whatcom County since 2005, including three for eluding police, two for theft, two for possession of stolen property, two for custodial assault and one each for firearm possession, controlled substance possession and criminal impersonation.
He’s also scheduled to begin a jury trial Monday, Nov. 19, for a May 8 charge of illegal possession of a firearm and April 24 charges of second-degree theft, second-degree possession of stolen property and second-degree identity theft.