BELLINGHAM, Wash. — Bellingham Police Department (BPD) are asking the public to be on the look out for a Ferndale man considered a suspect in an incident Thursday, October 27th, in which a RV rammed 2 occupied police cars.
According to an email from BPD Lieutenant Claudia Murphy to Whatcom News, about 10:10pm Thursday a BPD officer spotted an RV owned by a person knowned to have multiple warrants for his arrest at a fuel pump in the 4200 block of Meridian.
Other BPD officers arrived and they attempted to contact the man, identified as Marco M Salinas, age 37 and from Ferndale.
He was seen stumbling toward the driver’s seat, exhibiting signs of intoxication, and though the officers turned on their overhead emergency lights to signal him to remain stopped, he started the engine. SALINAS reversed the RV into a wall and then rammed two occupied patrol cars head on, damaging both patrol cars. He took off on Meridian Street. Given he was suspected of being under the influence, the fact he rammed two occupied patrol cars and took off, there was a threat to the rest of the motoring public, and officers received permission to pursue SALINAS. During the approximate 5-mile pursuit, SALINAS intentionally drove directly toward two more police officers, ran multiple red lights and nearly struck an officer who was out of his car. The pursuit was terminated once SALINAS drove toward the downtown core, where there was likely to be significant pedestrian traffic, greatly increasing the chance of danger to the public. Bellingham Police Department Lieutenant Claudia Murphy (October 27, 2022)
While no injuries were reported by responding officers, Salinas was reportedly seen swerving the RV toward 2 police officers, narrowly missing them. 1 was on foot and jumped out of the way and the other was in a car and drove out of the way, both avoiding a collision with the fleeing RV. The police vehicles were out of service after having their push-bumpers crushed and/or ripped off and are being checked for further damage.
Murphy said if members of the public see or have information regarding the whereabouts of Salinas, they are asked to contact the BPD via their online tip line at www.cob.org/tips or to their phone tip line at 360-778-8611.
