BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Bellingham Police Department officials issued the following statement regarding an incident that occurred on November 4th and resulted in a visible police presence in the area of E Sunset Drive (SR542) and Sunset Lane.
On 11/04/2024 at approximately 9:12 am, Bellingham Police Department patrol officers responded to Studio Lane after receiving a report of an adult female attacking an adult male with a baseball bat.
The responding officers located the male victim not far from where the assault reportedly occurred on Studio Lane. The man, who was visibly injured, told officers he was outside the apartment complex when a woman attacked him with a bat then told him she was going to get a knife. Fearing she would continue to assault him with a knife, he fled on a bicycle.
Soon after, Bellingham Fire Department arrived on scene, assessed the victim’s injuries, then transported him to PeaceHealth [St Joseph Medical Center] for treatment of what appeared to be significant injuries to his head and face.
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Click for more informationThe female was last seen going back into her apartment with the baseball bat. When officers attempted to contact her at her apartment, she refused to exit. Instead, the woman barricaded herself inside and threatened violence toward the officers.
The responding patrol officers retreated and requested that the department’s crisis negotiators respond to help. BPD also began working to secure a search warrant so they could extract the woman from the apartment if she did not cooperate and follow lawful commands. Probable cause existed to arrest the woman on Assault in the second degree and felony Harassment and a search warrant was approved by the Superior Court.
For everyone’s safety, BPD activated its SWAT team. Rescue 2, an armored rescue vehicle, also deployed to the scene. After crisis negotiators were unsuccessful at gaining compliance from the woman, chemical munitions were introduced into her apartment. She continued to remain inside and did not cooperate with officers.
At approximately 1:30 p.m., SWAT team members entered the apartment and safely detained her. As a precautionary measure, she was taken to PeaceHealth to be checked out by medical staff. After being cleared from the hospital, she was booked into the Whatcom County Jail on the established probable cause.
Whatcom County Jail records show Jessica Lynn Whitis, age 33, was booked into the jail about 2:15pm and charged with suspicion of 2nd-degree assault and felony harassment. As of November 5th, no bail option was being offered while she awaited a preliminary hearing in Bellingham Municipal Court.
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