Murder suspect was not struck by Whatcom deputies’ gunfire during Monday’s arrest
Zachary Scott Ranahan was not struck by gunfire from Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies Monday as they arrested him on suspicion of first-degree murder, according to information from the Skagit Multiple Agency Response Team.
Ranahan and a Bellingham woman allegedly used a ruse to lure a Bellingham man to rural northern Whatcom County before shooting and killing him Sunday morning, according to Whatcom County Superior Court records released Monday.
Following up on a tip, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office located Ranahan, 34, at an apartment complex in the 3100 block of West Maplewood Avenue in Bellingham at approximately 4:11 p.m. Monday, Oct. 12, according to a release on the incident from the response team, also known as SMART.
Shortly after deputies arrived, Ranahan attempted to run away, but deputies were able to track him into nearby brush, the release states. Shots were fired by deputies, but Ranahan was not struck, according to the release.
“There was an incident taking him into custody where there were shots fired, an officer-involved shooting,” Chief Deputy Kevin Hester told The Bellingham Herald Monday evening.
Ranahan was taken by ambulance to St. Joseph hospital in Bellingham for treatment to minor injuries he sustained while in the brush, the SMART release said.
Whatcom County Jail records show Ranahan was booked into the jail on suspicion of first-degree murder at 8:54 p.m. Monday.
SMART investigation
The sheriff’s office contacted SMART, which is comprised of detectives from several Skagit County police agencies, to conduct a thorough, independent investigation into the incident, the release states, and that the investigation is ongoing.
Investigations into police-involved shootings can take several months to complete, according to Washington State Patrol Trooper Heather Axtman, who is serving as the spokesperson for the SMART investigation.
“Since I’ve been the PIO (public information officer for the State Patrol’s District 7), which is about four years now, I’ve been involved in a number of these SMART investigations,” Axtman told The Herald, “but never in Whatcom County. I’ve done some in Skagit and Island counties.
“It can take a few months, at least, to figure out all the details. The detectives need to talk, not only to the deputies that were involved, but they need to take witness statements from people that were in the area and look at surveillance video if there was any. ... It can take at least a couple of months.”
And while the investigation is ongoing, Axtman told The Herald she could not comment on pieces of the investigation, such as how many shots were fired by deputies, how many deputies fired, what provoked them to fire, if Ranahan had a gun or if he possibly fired at deputies, though she said updates may be released periodically.
Once the investigation is completed, SMART will send the results of what it finds to the Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to determine if any charges are warranted, Axtman said.
The alleged crime
Detectives from the sheriff’s office were called to the 4000 block of Mosquito Lake Road at around 9 a.m. on Sunday, Oct. 11. They found 41-year-old Clinton E. Gulick face down in the gravel next to a running car at a construction site north of the Middle Fork Bridge. Gulick had been shot five times and was declared dead at the scene, according to court records.
Roseanne Louise Paden, 36, was booked into Whatcom County Jail Sunday evening on suspicion of first-degree murder. At her first appearance in court Monday a court commissioner set her bail at $1.5 million. Formal charges are expected to be filed by the end of the day Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to Whatcom County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Evan Jones.
Ranahan was wanted on a first-degree murder charge, according to charging documents filed in court Monday. His charges include an aggravating factor for allegedly committing the crime while armed with a firearm, the court records show.
This story was originally published October 13, 2020 at 10:40 AM.
