BELLINGHAM, Wash. — An affidavit of probable cause filed in Whatcom County Superior Court explained what police say led up to the arrest of a 20-year-old Bellingham man being booked into the Whatcom County Jail about 11pm on Tuesday, June 20th.
About 9pm that same day, a Bellingham Police Department (BPD) officer encountered a vehicle doing “donuts” or “burnouts” in a Park and Ride at the dead-end of 32nd Street while 2 persons stood on the sidewalk, 1 appearing to be recording on a cell phone.
The officer positioned their patrol vehicle to block the only entrance/exit at the Park and Ride and activated the patrol vehicle’s emergency lights. The suspect vehicle took off over a grassy area next to the patrol vehicle and sped off at a high rate of speed. It was seen failing to stop at the intersection of Douglas Avenue and 30th Street before the officer lost sight of it.
Other BPD patrol units were advised by radio of the suspect vehicle’s description.
Click for more information
Click for more informationThe officer developed detailed descriptions of the 2 occupants in the suspect vehicle by viewing the citizen’s cell phone video recording of the incident.
Soon after, another BPD officer located the suspect vehicle on 32nd Street traveling at a high rate of speed. The vehicle pulled into a driveway and the BPD officer used their patrol vehicle in an attempt to box the vehicle in. Instead, the suspect vehicle went backwards into the patrol vehicle and accelerated. The homeowners were alerted by the noise and began video recording the happenings in their driveway. The video reportedly shows the suspect vehicle hitting the patrol vehicle before fleeing again on 32nd Street.
Soon after, BPD officers received a report of a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle having been located at the top of the Sehome Arboretum.
A perimeter was set up around the arboretum and a K9 track showed the driver had left the perimeter area. He was eventually located by a K9 unit on less than a mile away on E Myrtle Street where he was detained without incident.
Click for more information
Click for more informationThe registered owner of the suspect vehicle, Elias Tobin Haynie-Gay, age 20 was identified as the driver and was the person detained following the K9 track.
Haynie-Gay was arrested and booked into the Whatcom County Jail. As a result, he is currently facing trial in the Whatcom County Superior Court for the following crimes.
- 2nd-degree assault with a deadly weapon
- attempting to elude a police vehicle
Haynie-Gay made a preliminary court appear on Wednesday, June 21st where prosecutors requested bail be set at $50,000 bond while the defense requested he be released under his personal recognizance. The court set bail at $20,000 bond with a $2,000 cash option.
Haynie-Gay was released from custody after posting a $2,000 cash bail on Wednesday, June 21st.
He is scheduled to be arraigned on June 30th.