WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — According to a complaint filed in Western Washington US District Court on July 19, 2024, a former Ferndale Police officer is accusing the Bellingham Police Department (BPD) of violating his civil rights as well as assault, false arrest, false imprisonment and negligent investigation. The accusations say BPD used their Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) equipment and personnel to take him into custody at his Blaine residence without probable cause nor an arrest warrant.
The SWAT raid and subsequent arrest came the same day a woman had come forward with evidence of recent text messages between her and former officer Michael Scott Langton. It was alleged that the conversations showed that Langton proposed sex involving children, including her child.
Langton said in his complaint that these messages were the result of their intimate conversations “regarding his sexual fantasies, including roleplaying as youth,” and “she encouraged him to discuss his fantasies and roleplaying with her.”
Langton’s complaint says BPD was issued a search warrant to search his residence and the SWAT team appeared outside his Blaine residence in the evening of July 26, 2022, and Langton was arrested outside his residence.
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In a report to the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission (WSCJTC), submitted by then Ferndale Chief of Police Kevin Turner, he explained his understanding of some circumstances during the SWAT raid.
When initially contacted at his home, Langton started a fire and burned possible items of evidence and reset his cell phone(s). Langton has refused cooperation with BPD in this matter.
– Ferndale Chief of Police Kevin Turner (August 1, 2022)
WSCJTC is a state agency that grants, denies, suspends or revokes law enforcement certifications.
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Langton was charged by BPD and booked into the Skagit County Jail on July 26, 2022, charged with criminal attempt involving solicitation of a minor, a class C felony. In his complaint, he says he was charged with “”Attempted Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes” and that is “a simple misdemeanor.” In their answer to the complaint, BPD denied that assertion.
Whatcom County Superior Court records indicate the case against Langton was filed in court on July 28, 2022, the date of his preliminary appearance.
At the July 28, 2022, preliminary hearing, prosecutors requested bail be set at $100,000 and Langton’s defense recommended he be released on his personal recognizance. The court set bail at $40,000 which he posted that day.
Langton was employed as a Ferndale Police Department (FPD) officer at the time of his arrest. He was reportedly placed on paid administrative leave following his arrest pending an internal and the criminal investigations.
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Terms of his being released from custody on bail included being prohibited from possessing weapons and from having contact with minors besides his immediate family.
On August 22, 2022, Langton’s employment with FPD was terminated. At the time, a FPD spokesperson said that since Langton was not allowed to carry a firearm while awaiting trial, he was not able to respond in case of an emergency. As a result, the city terminated his employment due to “an inability to carry out his duties.”
Langton failed to appeal a WSCJTC decision to revoke his peace officer certification due to multiple accusations of failing to uphold his sworn oath, so it was revoked November 28, 2022.
On February 6, 2023, Langton’s criminal case was dismissed by prosecutors without prejudice. A press release from Langston’s defense counsel said, “This came after completion of the investigation, and review of evidence gathered by law enforcement.” Adding, “We are thankful that Whatcom County was willing to take a close look at the evidence and ultimately made the right decision to dismiss this charge in the interest of justice.”
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On February 15, 2023, Langton accused FPD Chief Turner of behavior “unbecoming of a commissioned police officer, especially a chief of police” in a complaint to WSCJTC. He cited an email where Turner asked a WSCJTC investigator for an update on their investigation stating, “Any action taken toward Langton’s certification will potentially help our position as we move through this process …” Langston this indicated Turner was asking the investigator to act against Langton’s certification as a means of assisting him in his response to a recent grievance from Langton as they go through the FPD’s 4-stage process of terminating his employment.
On September 11, 2023, WSCJTC notified Turner that their investigation into Langton’s complaint against him “determined that there was no evidence to support a desertification action …”
Langton’s case against the BPD, filed in Western Washington US District Court on July 19, 2024, has a scheduled trial date of January 12, 2026, with several procedural deadlines set prior to that time.
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