A wanted man who led authorities on a high-speed chase through Bellingham remains at large
Authorities chased a wanted man through the streets of Bellingham on Friday morning in a pursuit that involved multiple law enforcement vehicles. The suspect escaped and remains at large.
Joel Pilgrim, 41, is wanted by Alaska State Troopers. Local authorities suspect Pilgrim took the ferry to Bellingham, according to Megan Peters with the Bellingham Police Department.
Pilgrim was spotted getting into a 2003 Chevy Trailblazer at a grocery store in Fairhaven on Friday morning. Police made attempts to contact the vehicle, but the driver declined to pull over and began to elude officers at high speeds, Peters said.
The pursuit continued toward Interstate 5, where Washington State Patrol declined to continue the chase, according to Peters.
Pilgrim remains out of police custody, according to Austin McDaniel, communications director with the Alaska Department of Public Safety.
Pilgrim has a warrant in Alaska for escape in the third degree, McDaniel said. Pilgrim was originally in police custody regarding a domestic violence assault, according to Peters.
Alaska state law states: “One commits the crime of escape in the third degree if one, while under official detention for a misdemeanor, removes, tampers with, or disables the electronic monitoring equipment.”
This story was originally published May 28, 2024 at 4:45 PM.
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