Two Whatcom County deputies out of hospital after being shot last week
Feb 15, 2022, 11:06 AM | Updated: 12:03 pm
A Whatcom County Sheriff's Office vehicle. (Photo courtesy of Whatcom Sheriff/Facebook)
(Photo courtesy of Whatcom Sheriff/Facebook)
Two Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office deputies who were shot last week are now out of the hospital and recovering at home.
Two deputies shot, injured responding to dispute between neighbors
The two deputies had been responding to reports of a neighborhood dispute on Thursday, Feb. 10, around 4:20 p.m., in the Peaceful Valley area of Whatcom County. Reports had said there were two males shooting at each other.
When the deputies arrived at the scene, they attempted to de-escalate the situation on the street and open a dialogue with one of the men who had a shotgun. That was when both deputies were shot and injured.
Less than two hours later, the suspect surrendered. He was arrested for two counts of attempted murder in the first degree and booked into the Skagit County Jail.
The deputies were initially taken to PeaceHealth St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham. On Friday, both were said to be alert and in stable condition. One of the two deputies was later moved to Harborview where he was placed under the care of a specialist.
The Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office identified the deputies as Ryan Rathbun and Jason Thompson.
2/4 Deputy Ryan Rathbun has been with the WCSO for almost 16 years. He has been a Field Training Officer and a member of our Criminal Interdiction Team and our SWAT team. He has served as a Foothills Neighborhood Deputy and is a First Aid/CPR Instructor.
— Whatcom County Sheriff's Office (@whatcomsheriff) February 14, 2022
4/4 Both deputies have been released from the hospital and continue to recover. Friends and family have set up the following ways to support them through this difficult time.
Deputy Rathbun: https://t.co/PtyzIkWGrt
Deputy Thompson: https://t.co/3bmr8LxjZO— Whatcom County Sheriff's Office (@whatcomsheriff) February 14, 2022
The criminal investigation is being conducted by members of the Law Enforcement Mutual Aid Response Team, led by Bellingham Police Department, in coordination with the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office.
