He stole a truck at the border before lengthy I-5 chase. Here’s his sentence
The man who led police on a high-speed chase across Whatcom County after stealing a car at the Canadian border pleaded guilty to two felonies in Whatcom County Superior Court on Monday.
Shawn Bergstrom, 42, used a machete to carjack a Toyota pickup on Dec. 12 and rammed it into a car in the border line to enter the United States near Blaine, according to court documents. He nearly ran over Border Patrol officers, authorities said, and proceeded to lead police on a chase through Whatcom County.
State troopers were able to perform a maneuver that caused Bergstrom to crash into a ditch near the Bow Hill rest area in Skagit County. He was taken into custody following a 10-minute standoff.
Bergstrom was committed to Western State Hospital on Dec. 20 to receive competency restoration and mental health treatment, according to court records. He was discharged April 28.
Bergstrom’s defense attorney, the state prosecutor and Bergstrom himself said he was experiencing a mental health episode on the day of the incident. Bergstrom apologized at his sentencing and said he was glad that no one was injured.
Bergstrom pleaded guilty to the amended felony charges of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and attempting to elude a police vehicle. The judge followed the joint recommendation of eight months in jail, with credit for the seven months already served.
Bergstrom is listed in court documents as an unhoused individual from British Columbia, and his attorney said he has outstanding charges in the province. Bergstrom will likely be extradited back to Canada and not allowed to re-enter the U.S. after he finishes serving his sentence in Whatcom County.