SWAT responds after fight breaks out when man assaults another in Bellingham, police say
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s SWAT Team was called to help apprehend a man who was being beaten another man in Bellingham.
The department responded to reports of a man with an ax at the 1700 block of Bayon Road at around 3:45 a.m. on July 5. SWAT was called because because of the suspect’s history of refusing to cooperate with law enforcement, said Deb Slater with the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
The victim said that Oba Peter Darvee Little had confronted him and told him to leave. An argument broke out, and Little hit him multiple times with a flashlight. He also took the victim’s phone and broke it, Slater said.
During law enforcement’s response to this incident, Deputy Sheriff Ryan Rathbun was involved in a collision with another vehicle that sent him and the other driver to the hospital.
SWAT was able to arrest Little without incident around 7:05 a.m. He was charged with second-degree assault, second-degree robbery and malicious mischief. He remains in the Whatcom County Jail.
This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 7:38 AM.
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