Man reportedly intentionally sets fires outside two downtown Bellingham businesses
A passerby helped stop an armed man who was running from police after he reportedly intentionally started fires outside two downtown Bellingham businesses Friday night.
The Bellingham Police Department booked Michael Alan Klepper, 24, into Whatcom County Friday, July 8, on suspicion of two counts of first-degree arson and one count each of carrying a concealed pistol without a permit and obstruction. Jail records show Klepper was released Saturday, July 9, on $20,000 bail.
At approximately 10:53 p.m. Friday, officers and the Bellingham Fire Department were called to the 1300 block of North State Street for the report of fires being started outside two separate businesses, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email.
The fires were both extinguished by firefighters, Murphy reported, but both businesses were occupied at the time the fires were started.
A witness identified Klepper as the person who started a fire in a plastic dumpster adjacent to the wall of the first business, according to Murphy. Klepper was then reportedly seen removing burning trash from the dumpster and “recklessly tossing it toward the wall of the business,” Murphy reported.
The witness also reported seeing Klepper starting a fire in a planter box along a wall of the second business, according to Murphy.
Officers told Klepper that he was under arrest, but he ran west on East Holly Street, with officers chasing and telling him to stop, Murphy reported. Klepper reportedly continued to try to run away, even after he fell off a retaining wall.
The foot chase ended when a passerby stepped into Klepper’s path, allowing officers to catch and place him under arrest, according to Murphy.
While searching Klepper, police found a concealed pistol, Murphy reported, and Klepper did not have a concealed carry license.
This story was originally published July 12, 2022 at 12:03 PM.
