Sentence reduced for former Bellingham police officer convicted of domestic violence abuse
A former Bellingham police officer who was convicted of multiple charges relating to a years-long pattern of domestic violence abuse of a woman known to him has had a little more than a year and a half taken off of his original prison sentence.
Former Cpl. Brooks Owen Laughlin, 36, was resentenced to 6⅓ years in prison with three years probation Monday, March 29, in Whatcom County Superior Court. Laughlin will not be eligible to own firearms upon his release from prison and must attend anger management and mental health counseling, according to court records.
A no-contact order was put in place between Laughlin and the woman for 20 years from the date of his original 2018 sentencing, while an 11-year no-contact order was put in place between Laughlin and the woman’s family.
Laughlin was required to be resentenced after the Washington State Court of Appeals Division 1 overturned Laughlin’s convictions for one count of felony stalking and one count of misdemeanor harassment Dec. 7, according to court records.
The appeals court upheld Laughlin’s seven other convictions for three counts of felony-second degree assault, one count of felony harassment, two counts of misdemeanor violation of a no-contact order and one count of misdemeanor fourth-degree assault, court records show.
At Monday’s court hearing, former longtime prosecuting attorney David McEachran — who handled the resentencing as a special deputy prosecutor — said the 6⅓ years in prison was a recommended agreement between the prosecution, defense and the victim.
With the resentencing, Laughlin would still receive exceptional sentences on two of his convictions, McEachran said.
“The multitude of findings indicates how serious and ‘aggravated’ the jurors found the behavior of the defendant in each of these offenses relating to the continuing relationship with (the woman),” McEachran stated in his resentencing memorandum filed with the court.
Laughlin’s defense attorney, Doug Hyldahl, said the recommended sentence preserves the previous exceptional sentence Laughlin was given on some of his charges, while reflecting that the felony stalking charge is no longer included in his prison time.
Hyldahl said Laughlin has taken advantage of the opportunities provided to him in prison and that he understands what he did was inexcusable.
Monday’s resentencing takes about 20 months off of Laughlin’s original sentence. Laughlin was originally sentenced to eight years in prison in Dec. 2018, with three years probation. A jury found Laughlin guilty on Nov. 13, 2018, of nine charges relating to the pattern of domestic violence abuse.
The jury also determined aggravating factors that stated Laughlin’s conduct was part of an ongoing pattern of abuse manifested by physical incidents over a prolonged period of time, that some of the abuse took place in front of his children from a previous marriage and that he acted with deliberate cruelty toward the victim.
The Bellingham Herald does not typically identify victims of domestic violence or sexual assault.
History of violence
Laughlin resigned from duty April 20, 2018, according to then-Bellingham Police Chief David Doll. Laughlin was previously put on paid administrative leave on Feb. 14, 2018, four days after his first arrest on Feb. 10, 2018. Laughlin was arrested again a month later on March 27, 2018, after the woman disclosed violations of a no-contact order and the abuse to police.
Laughlin had been with the Bellingham Police Department for 13 years and was promoted to corporal on Jan. 9, 2018.
The Bellingham Police Department had known about Laughlin’s history of domestic violence since at least January 2017, but some sheriff’s deputies and the woman’s family have had concerns about Laughlin’s conduct since 2015, according to records obtained by The Bellingham Herald.
The city of Bellingham also approved the payment of a $175,000 settlement in February 2020 to a man who filed a federal lawsuit alleging Laughlin used excessive force during an arrest and that the department had a policy of tolerating violent officers.
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/.
