Man arrested for allegedly raping residents while at Lake Whatcom Treatment Center
A Bellingham man was arrested Sunday, Jan. 19, for allegedly raping two other residents while he was a resident at the Lake Whatcom Residential & Treatment Center.
Tyler John Brown, 33, was arrested on suspicion of second-degree rape and fourth-degree assault with sexual motivation. Brown’s bail was set at $50,000 at his first appearance Tuesday, Jan. 21, in Whatcom County Superior Court. Sexual assault protection orders were also entered between Brown and the victims.
He remains incarcerated in the Whatcom County Jail.
Brown’s arraignment is scheduled for Jan. 31.
Around 3:30 p.m. on Jan. 19, Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies responded to the treatment center in the 3400 block of Agate Heights Road for a report of a possible rape between two residents, according to court records.
A female resident told deputies that Brown kissed her without her consent, and pushed himself on her while pinning her against a wall, the records show.
Deputies spoke with a second female resident who was undergoing a sexual assault examination at the hospital. The woman told deputies that Brown raped her, according to court records.
The woman told deputies she was speaking with Brown in his room when he physically pulled her down and raped her, court records state. The woman told deputies she told Brown no several times, the records state.
The woman told deputies she was unable to move during the assault.
Both women expressed “extreme concern” to deputies and requested court-ordered protection because Brown is a resident at the same treatment center they were at, according to court records.
Behavioral health recovery
Jenny Billings, CEO, and Britta Johnson, clinical director, at Lake Whatcom Center said while they can’t comment on specific patients due to confidentiality, safety is important and that they approach it as any other organization does. Billings and Johnson said that staff and clients often have meetings where they can talk and address concerns they have while at the treatment facility.
“You can’t predict human behavior. ... As far as a staff, we follow the same training and protocol standards that the state has outlined. We work with individuals on de-escalation. We can’t engage in physical or chemical restraints. ... In general, we feel it’s a very safe environment,” Johnson said.
The facility, located on Agate Heights Road, is a 67-bed outpatient residential treatment facility for individuals pursuing behavioral health recovery. The facility has 24/7 staffing and has a number of wrap-around services for clients, Johnson and Billings said.
The facility is one of a few places across the state for people with severe, persistent behavioral health issues transitioning from an institutionalized setting, such as a state psychiatric facility or jails, that helps to transition people back into society, Billings and Johnson said. They said the facility takes a lot of referrals and often has a wait-list.
“We are part of the community and we work with community members in supporting mental health recovery and we believe recovery is possible and that anyone and everyone can recover. We work hard to provide support to help those individuals walk through that process,” Johnson said. “It’s important we advocate for our community. Frankly, there’s a stigma with mental health, and we and our clients deal with it on a daily basis, so we’re advocating that we work with each other. We work with humans and we’re not in this separate, other category.”
Resources
If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence or sexual assault, you can contact the following local resources for free, confidential support:
▪ Domestic Violence & Sexual Assault Services: 24-hour Help Line: 360-715-1563, Email: info@dvsas.org.
▪ Lummi Victims of Crime: 360-312-2015.
▪ Bellingham Police: You can call anonymously at 360-778-8611, or go online at cob.org/tips.
▪ WWU Consultation and Sexual Assault Support Survivor Advocacy Services: 360-650-3700 or wp.wwu.edu/sexualviolence/.
This story was originally published January 23, 2020 at 12:49 PM.
