Bellingham police arrest suspect in Fred Meyer stabbing, using his alias to identify him
Bellingham Police arrested a man they suspect stabbed another last week during a fight in the Bakerview Fred Meyer parking lot, using his nickname “Deaf Jam” to help identify him.
Marcus David Kaptinski, 29, was booked into Whatcom County Jail Thursday, March 17, on suspicion of first degree assault. Jail records show he is being held in lieu of $225,000.
The stabbing is believed to have occurred at approximately 1:20 p.m. on March 13, according to Whatcom County Superior Court documents released Wednesday, March 23.
Police located the victim conscious and speaking in a vehicle with a puncture wound in the chest, Lt. Claudia Murphy previously told The Bellingham Herald, and officers administered first aid until the Bellingham Fire Department arrived and took the victim to St. Joseph hospital with injuries that were not believed to be life-threatening.
Police were later informed that the blade had failed to penetrate beyond the victim’s sternum, according to court documents.
A witness also was with the victim at the time of the stabbing, court documents state.
Surveillance video at Fred Meyer showed the attack, but with low resolution, police were only able to determine that the height and build of the attacker matched Kaptinski, according to court documents.
At the hospital, the victim told police that his attacker was named “Marcus” or “Deaf Jam,” documents state. Earlier the witness had also identified the man with the knife as “Deaf Jam,” which documents state is a known alias for Kaptinski.
The police department’s incident log reported that the stabbing was believed to have occurred during a “likely” drug deal.
Whatcom County Superior Court records show Kaptinski also was wanted on a warrant issued Feb. 14 for failing to appear in court on charges of possession of a stolen vehicle from Nov. 13, 2021. Court records also show Kaptinski has multiple previous convictions for robbery, assault and forgery in Whatcom County.
