Homicide investigation underway after man reports fatal fight at Bellingham’s Squalicum Harbor
The Bellingham Police Department is investigating a homicide that took place Wednesday, June 19 at Squalicum Harbor.
Police received a call around 9:56 p.m. from a man who reported he had been in a physical altercation with Thomas James Westendorf, 51, when a handgun was brandished. Westendorf was shot and killed during the altercation, Megan Peters with The Bellingham Police Department told The Bellingham Herald. Investigators know who owns the gun but are not ready to make that information public.
Police responded to the scene and made contact with the man who reported the shooting. The man was near his vessel in the short-term parking in the harbor, and officers found Westendorf deceased on the vessel, where the altercation occurred, Peters said.
No arrests have been made, and no charges have been filed regarding the incident. The investigation into Westendorf’s death is ongoing.
Editor’s note (June 21): This article was revised to include details about who owns the handgun involved in the incident.
This story was originally published June 20, 2024 at 4:50 PM.
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