Man accused of ramming deputy, threatening K-9 with machete pleads guilty to charges

DEMING, Wash. —Ryan Allen Getz, age 44, pled guilty to 3 felonies and 1 gross misdemeanor in Whatcom County Superior Court and was sentenced on April 22nd to over 4 years in custody.

Getz faced 5 felony counts including assault with a deadly weapon and attempting to elude a police vehicle along with other gross misdemeanor charges following an incident on Saturday, September 30, 2023. During that incident, deputies observed a gold Subaru Forester passing in no passing zones and reaching speeds of 80 to 85mph in a 50mph zone while eastbound on E Smith Road from Hannegan Road about 9pm.

Pursuing deputies activated their sirens and the Subaru turned eastbound on Mount Baker Highway at which point the driver began tossing items out of the vehicle in an apparent attempt to disable the pursuing WCSO vehicles.

The Subaru turned up a logging road and about 1 mile down the road came to an abrupt stop. The pursuing deputy stopped and began exiting the patrol vehicle when the Subaru began backing up at a high rate of speed and rammed the patrol vehicle. The deputy suffered minor injuries.

Upon reaching the end of the logging road, the driver fled on foot. A K-9 unit tracked and located the driver. He was armed with a machete and threatened to kill the K-9. An hour after fleeing, the driver was taken into custody.

Getz pled guilty to felony identity theft (from an earlier incident), attempting to elude, 2nd-degree assault and gross misdemeanor unlawful display of a weapon.

Getz has prior felony convictions for residential burglary, 1st-degree trafficking of stolen property, possession of stolen property, theft and 3rd-degree assault. He was sentenced to 54 months (4.5 years) in prison on the assault and ID theft charges, 18 months on the attempting to elude and 364 days on the unlawful display of a weapon charge. All to be served concurrently with credit for time served will awaiting sentencing. He will also serve 18 months of community custody once released from prison.