Ferndale shooting suspect pleads not guilty to first-degree murder
A Ferndale man pleaded not guilty to seven felonies, including first-degree murder, in Whatcom County Superior Court on Monday.
Michael Steven Daniels Jr., 48, is accused of fatally shooting Jordan Cernich in Ferndale on Friday. Court records obtained by The Bellingham Herald show that Daniels went to his ex-wife’s apartment in Ferndale at about 3:30 a.m.
A domestic violence restraining order, which included a stipulation that Daniels could not possess a firearm, was put in place against Daniels in November.
What happened Friday
Court documents show that Cernich left the apartment he shared with Daniels’ ex-wife shortly before Daniels arrived. When Daniels knocked on the door, the woman opened it, thinking it was Cernich.
Daniels then forced his way into the apartment and a “struggle ensued,” according to court records. Daniels took his ex-wife’s phone from her hands and pulled out a handgun. The woman said she believed Daniels was going to hurt her.
At some point during the altercation, Cernich returned to the apartment. He and Daniels got into a physical and verbal fight, and Cernich struck Daniels in the head with an unknown object at one point. Daniels said he was leaving but, when he was about 10 feet down the hall, he turned and fired four to seven shots at Cernich.
After the shots were fired, a child living in the home tried to tackle Daniels, according to court documents. Daniels “shoulder checked” them off and fled from the residence. As he left, the child said Daniels told them not to call the police and said something to the effect of “don’t make me shoot you.”
Soon after, the child said Daniels texted them multiple times asking if his mother was alright and saying he would never hurt them. Daniels said he took a gun from Cernich because Cernich was beating him with it.
Police found Cernich with multiple gunshot wounds to his side, and he identified Daniels as the person who shot him. He was taken to St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham, where he later died.
Officers with the Lummi Nation Police Department and the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office found Daniels at his residence and took him into custody. He told police that he went to his ex-wife’s residence to return some of her personal property. He said that they discussed her dating someone else while inside the apartment, according to court documents.
He said the two of them started arguing, and his ex-wife “started going ‘crazy.’” He said Cernich then came inside and pointed a large handgun at him. Daniels agreed to leave, but alleged Cernich pistol-whipped him in the back of the head on his way out.
He said this made him fall to one knee, and Cernich stood over him. He saw a second handgun in Cernich’s waistband, according to court documents, and grabbed it from him. Daniels said he fired four to five shots because he feared Cernich would shoot him.
He added that a child attacked him as he was trying to leave, and he had to throw the child off of him. He said that as this was happening, his ex-wife was yelling at him that Cernich’s gun was fake.
He said he threw his ex-wife’s phone out his car window, and officers found it at the address he indicated.
A K-9 unit was deployed to search Daniels’ residence after his arrest, and found a suppressed .22-caliber handgun hidden in a tree branch about 100 yards away. Court records show police also found live .22-caliber ammunition and a night vision device inside the trailer where Daniels lived.
Several spent .22-caliber shell casings were discovered on the property along with a mannequin torso with bullet holes in it.
First court appearance
Daniels appeared in the Whatcom County Jail courtroom for his first appearance and arraignment on Monday afternoon.
The state asked for Daniels to be held without bail, while the defense requested a bail of $100,000. Before the commissioner imposed a decision and took Daniels’ plea, relatives of both Cernich and Daniels addressed the court.
“I want (Daniels) to feel everything that my family is feeling right now,” Cernich’s sister said.
She said that Cernich’s son now has to grow up without a dad, and Daniels took away her brother’s opportunity to be a father.
“I don’t think a human being has a right to be in our society” if they commit these alleged crimes, Cernich’s father said.
The state pointed to a history of failures to appear in court and the likely danger to the community that Daniels would pose if released. Prosecutors also said the shooting “appeared to be planned” based on what was found at Daniels’ residence.
The defense argued that there was no evidence of premeditation, and said the charge only met the definition of first-degree murder because it occurred during the alleged commission of a robbery and burglary.
Daniels’ cousin also spoke at the hearing in support of the defense’s motion for bail. She said Daniels is an “upstanding citizen” and said the blame laid on Daniels’ ex-wife, not him.
“He’s the victim here,” she said.
The commissioner ultimately followed the state’s recommendation to hold Daniels without bail. No-contact orders protecting Daniels’ ex-wife and the two children present at the time of the shooting were put in place.
Daniels then pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder, first-degree burglary, two counts of second-degree assault, unlawful possession of a firearm, first-degree robbery and felony violation of a domestic violence protection order.
If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.