BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Bennie Demetrius Washington, Jr., 25, was sentenced on March 31, 2026, in Whatcom County Superior Court. Judge Lee Grochmal ordered Washington to serve 189 months of total confinement following convictions for accomplice liability 1st-degree assault and attempted 2nd-degree murder. Both counts included 24-month enhancements for the use of a deadly weapon. The confinement terms are to be served concurrently. Upon release, Washington is required to serve 36 months of community custody. The court also ordered a $500 victim assessment and a $200 criminal filing fee. A no-contact order for the victim was issued that does not expire.
The charges stem from an incident on June 17, 2025. At about 11:35am, Bellingham Police Department (BPD) officers responded to a report of an assault in the 600 block of Dupont St. Officers located a male victim on the ground with two stab wounds to his back. The victim was transported to a hospital where medical staff determined he sustained a fractured vertebrae and a punctured diaphragm.
Witnesses at the scene reported seeing two male individuals fighting with the victim. One witness stated they observed an individual come up behind the victim and stab him in the back. The victim later told detectives that as he was fighting with one individual, he heard Washington say, “I’m going to stab him,” and then felt the first stab to his lower back. Video surveillance from the Whatcom County Jail recorded Washington and another individual walking toward the area moments before the assault. The video showed Washington putting on a bandana as a mask before contacting the victim. BPD officers located Washington in the vicinity of the incident with blood on his hands.
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