ACME, Wash. — First responders were dispatched to the area of Strand Road and Valley Highway (SR9) about 7:35am on Saturday, September 17th, after a victim reported their windshield had been shattered by a subject firing a shotgun from the shoulder of the road. Patrick Jarvis was subsequently arrested for a number of crimes including 1st degree assault.
Jarvis appeared at a preliminary hearing in Whatcom County Superior Court on September 19th and prosecutors filed an affidavit of probable cause for arrest prepared by Washington State Patrol (WSP).
According to the affidavit, a victim reported he and a passenger had been in a vehicle northbound on Valley Highway and saw a man standing next to a vehicle parked on the shoulder near Strand Road. As the victim drove past, the man shot at the ground and the victim’s windshield shattered. The victim reported getting glass into an eye. The passenger was uninjured.
The victim drove away northbound.
Other witnesses to the shooting advised 911 call receivers that the man had driven southbound. It was determined the man lived on Valley Highway south of Strand Road. He was seen by law enforcement walking in the road in the area of his residence.
He then got in another vehicle and drove northbound on Valley Highway. A WSP trooper positioned his vehicle to partially block both lanes with his emergency lights on. In response, the man accelerated and swerved around the WSP vehicle and continued northbound.
When the man arrived at a pullout at a railroad crossing, he stopped, got out of the vehicle with the shotgun and laid the shotgun on the ground as a WSP trooper approached. He was taken into custody without incident.
Jarvis now faces the following charges in Whatcom County Superior Court.
- 2 counts of 1st degree assault with a deadly weapon
- drive-by shooting
- attempting to elude a police vehicle
- driving under the influence
There was a related incident at a nearby business which Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office is investigating. Additional charges may come from that investigation according to the affidavit.
During the preliminary court appearance, prosecutors asked for bail to be set at $350,000 and the defense requested $50,000 with a cash alternative. The court set bail at $350,000.
As of September 20th, Jarvis remained in custody at Whatcom County Jail and is scheduled to be arraigned on September 30th.