Bail set at $5 million for Whatcom attempted murder suspect who allegedly shot 2 deputies
Bail has been set at $5 million for the Maple Falls man accused of the attempted murder of two Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies injured in a shooting Thursday night.
Joel Berck Young, 60, was charged Friday, Feb. 11, in Whatcom County Superior Court with two counts of first-degree attempted murder. Those counts include aggravating factors for allegedly trying to kill a law enforcement officer, which allows a court to sentence him to life in prison.
Young’s bail was set at his first appearance in court Friday afternoon. Young was incarcerated in the Skagit County Community Justice Center early Friday, and is expected to be returned to Skagit County after Friday’s court appearance.
Young was ordered not to possess firearms or dangerous weapons, use intoxicants and anti-harassment orders were issued to protect the deputies who were shot.
His arraignment is scheduled for 10 a.m. Feb. 18.
Deputy Ryan Rathbun was moved to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle, where he was under the care of a specialist but also “stable” Friday, according to a Facebook post by the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. A hospital spokeswoman said he was in satisfactory condition Saturday, Feb. 12.
Deputy Jay Thompson was discharged from St. Joseph’s hospital in Bellingham Friday after a night of observation, according to hospital spokesperson Bev Mayhew.
Rathbun has been with the agency for 16 years, Thompson for 13 years, according to public records obtained by The Bellingham Herald.
Whatcom County Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Erik Sigmar said Friday in court that both of the deputies suffered wounds to their heads and faces and may potentially lose eyesight and one might lose an eye. Sigmar said Rathbun underwent surgery.
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At Young’s first appearance, Sigmar said while Young has no criminal history, the prosecutor’s office believed $5 million bail was commensurate with the nature of the charges. Sigmar said the deputies’ family members and representatives were urging the court to hold Young without bail.
“The defendant’s actions resulted in a gun battle in a residential neighborhood,” Sigmar said. “It’s not appropriate to place the community at risk by allowing lesser bail and potentially release. Indiscriminate shooting that places an entire neighborhood at risk followed by the malicious targeting of those responding to serve and protect this community should not be tolerated and cries out for high bail.”
“Thank God both of our Deputies are stable and the suspect who shot them is now in custody,” Sheriff Bill Elfo wrote in a Facebook post on his personal account. “This case illustrates the dangers our law enforcement officers face every day in our increasingly violent community.
“Thank you to all the law enforcement agencies who responded to assist and for the kindness and competence of the medics and hospital personnel. Everyone’s concerns and prayers are appreciated.”
Shooting timeline
According to Friday’s news release, deputies were sent at 4:17 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 10, to the 3000 block of Green Valley Drive in Peaceful Valley for a report of shots fired, after a caller told 911 that a neighbor was outside shooting his 12-gauge shotgun in the air. Additional callers gave the specific address and reported two people were shooting at each other from two houses.
Deputies arrived at approximately 4:40 p.m., according to Friday’s release, and said that a man, later identified as Young, was yelling at them and waving the shotgun around. Deputies established probable cause to arrest Young for felony harassment and reported noting that Young appeared to be intoxicated due to his speech and actions.
According to the news release and court records, the investigation revealed that:
▪ Young told police he began drinking vodka, coffee and cocoa around 3 p.m. Thursday, while his adult son who Young lives with left the house to run errands.
▪ While he was doing so, a neighbor started to burn a garbage pile, causing smoke to fill Young’s house, which apparently enraged him.
▪ Young went outside to yell at the neighbor, who reportedly replied with an expletive, which further enraged him.
▪ Young went back in the house, retrieved a shotgun loaded with birdshot and fired a round in the air near the neighbor.
▪ Young went back into his house and had a beer.
▪ Shortly afterward, Young heard deputies yell “Sheriff,” looked outside and saw someone crouching by the neighbor’s garage and went outside.
▪ Two deputies by the neighbor’s garage yelled to young “Sheriff’s Office — drop the gun!”
▪ Young yelled at the deputies and then fired on them.
▪ The first deputy was hit in the head and dropped to the ground.
▪ The second deputy stepped forward and returned fire in an effort to protect the deputy who had already been shot.
▪ Young returned fire and struck the second deputy by 4:45 p.m., who retreated to cover. Young also yelled out “yahoo” after hitting the deputies, Sigmar, the prosecutor, said in court.
▪ An “unknown civilian” stepped forward and fired multiple rounds from a handgun at Young to protect the deputies.
▪ Both deputies were pulled into a garage where first aid was administered and they waited for additional deputies to arrive.
More deputies and members of the sheriff’s office SWAT team arrived and surrounded the home at approximately 6:06 p.m., according to the release.
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Young surrendered
Once the home was surrounded and law enforcement contacted him, Young surrendered after he received a call from his son asking him to come out of the house, according to court documents. Young was taken into custody without incident, Murphy told The Herald in a follow-up email.
Young was taken to the Bellingham Police Department’s station, and the department’s SWAT team responded and took over the scene in Peaceful Valley, awaiting a search warrant for the house so the Bellingham Police Department Crime Scene Investigators could enter, according to the release.
Once in Bellingham, Young told police after hearing the deputies yell “Sheriff” he thought it was the neighbor, and fired in the direction of the garage, then went back inside when “all hell broke loose,” court documents state. He told police he was on his floor as bullets were flying through his house.
The investigation of the incident is being handled by members of the Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Response Team (LEMART) in coordination with the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office, the release states. The team is a multi-jurisdictional investigation team that investigates officer-involved shootings and other complicated investigations in Whatcom County.
“We are ever so grateful the WCSO deputies are in stable condition and that no residents were injured,” Bellingham Police Chief Flo Simon said in Friday’s new release. “The members of the LEMART team are working tirelessly to ensure there is a thorough and complete investigation delivered to the prosecutor’s office.
“Our thoughts and prayers go out to the WCSO deputies, their families, and the entire Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office. We wish them a speedy recovery.”
Other than injuries to the two deputies, no others were reported in the incident, Murphy told The Herald, including the neighbor Young reportedly fired birdshot at. That neighbor was not arrested.
Investigation continues
The number of shots that were fired both by Young and law enforcement is still under investigation, according to Murphy.
On Friday morning, several Bellingham Police Department officers and Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies remained on scene in Peaceful Valley, but no residents were seen outside in the area. A Bellingham Police tactical command vehicle was parked in the area, and yellow crime scene tape hung at the corner of Green Valley Drive and King Valley Drive.
Police had marked off evidence outside Young’s house and the neighbor’s house, where the two deputies were shot. Yellow evidence markers were on the ground outside the neighbor’s garage, while bullet holes could be seen in the glass of Young’s front window.
This story was originally published February 11, 2022 at 3:34 PM.
