Whatcom County man faces assault charges following knife attack
A Whatcom County man is facing two counts of assault with a deadly weapon after police say he attacked two people with a knife in Ferndale.
Curtis Bell, 34, allegedly attempted to stab a man in his apartment with a 3.5-inch pocketknife after midnight on July 12 in the 5400 block of Fallbrook Lane.
A woman known to Bell, who was also in the apartment, tried to protect the man by holding up a chair between them. Bell then attempted to stab the woman when she intervened, according to Megan Juenemann with the city of Ferndale.
The man Bell first attacked ran out of the apartment, and Bell chased after him. The two men crossed a parking lot before Bell caught up, and the two men fell to the ground. Bell again attempted to stab the man several times, cutting his right cheek in the struggle, according to court documents.
Police responded to the apartment around 12:40 a.m., but Bell allegedly left before they arrived.
Police found Bell nearby, still holding the knife, Juenemann said. Following instructions from police, he dropped the knife. But he failed to follow further instructions, so police used a taser and bean bag round to take him into custody, Juenemann said.
Bell has since been charged with two counts of first-degree assault with a deadly weapon, which is a class A felony. He remains in custody at Whatcom County Jail as of July 29.
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