Bellingham man sent to hospital after alleged chain attack downtown
A Bellingham man was arrested over the weekend after allegedly striking another man in the head with a chain, sending him to the hospital.
Police were called to E. Magnolia Street at 2:04 a.m. on Aug. 9 to find a man bleeding from a head wound. The injured man told police he had been speaking with another man unknown to him who hit him with a chain, according to Megan Peters with the Bellingham Police Department.
The suspect was no longer in the area when police arrived, Peters said. However, a witness to the alleged assault was able to get a photo of the suspected attacker.
The Bellingham police shared the photo in a social media post about the incident, asking people to contact police if they had any additional information.
The next day, Saturday, Aug. 10, police were given a tip regarding a suspect at Fred Meyer on Lakeway who had possible warrants out for his arrest. Police responded, approached the suspect’s vehicle, and confirmed him to be Jacob Angelo Sparks, 37, Peters told The Bellingham Herald.
Sparks had a warrant out for his arrest from the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office for fourth-degree assault, according to Peters. He was taken into custody without incident.
Sparks matched the description of the man who committed the assault on Aug. 9, and in an interview with police admitted hitting the other man with a chain, Peters told The Herald. He told police that he had been hiding because he saw his photo on the Bellingham Police Department’s social media.
Probable cause was developed to arrest Sparks on suspicion of second-degree assault. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail where he remained in custody as of Tuesday morning, jail records show.
This story was originally published August 13, 2024 at 10:17 AM.
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