He was ‘easily frustrated’ by baby, now Bellingham man is going to prison
A Bellingham man will spend a little more than 2½ years in prison for assaulting an infant in June 2020.
Tanner Lee Shutt, 21, was sentenced Monday, Aug. 2, in Whatcom County Superior Court to 31 months in prison with 1½ years of probation. Shutt pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree assault of a child (domestic violence) at his plea and sentencing hearing Monday.
Shutt was previously charged with two counts of first-degree assault of a child (domestic violence), but his charges were lowered as part of a plea deal, court records show.
As part of his sentencing, Shutt is not allowed to have unsupervised contact with the child or any other children under age 12. He must also undergo an evaluation and treatment or counseling for domestic violence and anger management, according to court records.
Bellingham police began an investigation into Shutt in early June 2020 after being contacted by the Washington State Department of Children, Youth and Families, which suspected abuse after a then 3-month-old child was hospitalized, court records show.
The then 3-month-old child was taken to St. Joseph’s hospital because he was “fussy and inconsolable,” the court records state. It was later determined the infant had a left femur fracture and was taken to Seattle Children’s Hospital for treatment and care.
Shutt told police the child’s leg was stuck in between the slats of his crib when Shutt found the baby sleeping. Shutt removed the baby from the crib and removed a sleepsuit made of thick material the child was wearing, according to court records. Shutt later admitted to police he used a quick, jolt-like motion to remove the child’s leg from the sleepsuit and he believed that’s when the femur fracture happened, court records state.
Shutt also admitted that he becomes “easily frustrated,” which was confirmed by other family members, including the child’s mother, and said he sometimes squeezes or holds the baby tightly when he’s crying, the records show.
The then 3-month-old boy’s femur fracture was determined to be of a spiral nature, which was “consistent with a twisting mechanism rather than a push or pull mechanism,” the records state. Further examination showed the child also had healing rib fractures on two ribs.
After interviews with medical experts and Shutt, police determined Shutt had exhibited a pattern of assaulting the child. He was later arrested without incident and booked into the Whatcom County Jail.
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.
▪ Tl’ils Ta’á’altha Victims of Crime: 360-325-3310 or nooksacktribe.org/departments/youth-family-services/tlils-taaaltha-victims-of-crime-program/
▪ 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/.
▪ Brigid Collins Family Support Center: 360-734-4616, brigidcollins.org.
