Authorities identify man killed in Whatcom County officer-involved shooting
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Authorities identified Benjamin Roberts, 34, as the man shot by police.
- Roberts led officers on a pursuit, took a boat and fired a handgun before being shot.
- Snohomish County team is investigating due to multi-agency officer involvement.
Authorities have identified the man who died after a shooting near Cain Lake on Saturday night.
Benjamin Roberts, 34, of Concrete, has been confirmed as the man who died after a pursuit that ended with him being shot by law enforcement, according to Whatcom County Medical Examiner Dr. Aldo Fusaro.
A previous statement from the Snohomish County Multiple Agency Response Team (SMART), which is investigating the incident, said the man was from Cape Horn, Washington.
The incident began around 7:30 p.m. when Washington State Patrol officers attempted to pull over Roberts, who was suspected of driving a stolen motorcycle on northbound Interstate 5 south of Mount Vernon, according to a statement from SMART spokesperson Nathan Fabia.
“The motorcycle did not stop, and a pursuit was initiated,” Fabia previously said.
The driver abandoned the motorcycle at Alger Cain Lake Road near Camp 2 Road, close to the south end of Cain Lake, a 71-acre lake surrounded by homes southeast of Bellingham.
Roberts then took a boat onto the lake and started firing a handgun in multiple directions, according to authorities. That led to police firing multiple rounds, hitting him.
“The male began firing rounds from a handgun in multiple directions. The male was the only person on the boat. The Whatcom County SWAT team responded, and officers shot and struck the male in the boat. Officers were then able to contact the male on the boat, brought him back to land, and provided first aid. The male was loaded into an ambulance for transport but succumbed to injuries,” Fabia said.
A person who lives in the area told The Herald that a helicopter was circling and more than 10 shots were fired over a period of about two hours.
No other injuries were reported.
Snohomish County officers are handling the inquiry into the shooting because it involved officers from the Washington State Patrol, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and other agencies in Whatcom and Skagit counties.
There have been two incidents of officer-involved shootings in Whatcom County so far this year. In February, a sheriff’s deputy was injured in an accidental shooting.
This story was originally published May 20, 2025 at 12:43 PM.
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