BELLINGHAM, Wash. — An affidavit of probable cause for arrest prepared by Bellingham Police and submitted in Whatcom County Superior Court by prosecutors provides details regarding the chaotic scene after a man, identified as Jimmy Robert Brashears, age 35 and from Lynden, broke locked display cases and left with a shotgun but failed in an attempt to take ammunition.
According to the affidavit, Brashears drew the attention of employees and customers on Wednesday, August 24th, as he spent about 5 minutes pacing up and down an aisle in the sporting goods area of the store in the 4400 block of Meridian Street in Bellingham. He was carrying a can of cat food and a pink dumbbell.
About 5:20pm, Brashears reportedly threw the can at a locked glass case containing ammunition and the dumbbell at a locked glass case containing long guns behind a counter. He leapt over the counter and took a shotgun from the case. He then went to the ammunition case that he had attempted to break into with the can but that had not been successful. He attempted to use the butt of the shotgun to gain access but was unsuccessful and broke pieces off the buttstock.
About 5:21pm, multiple people reportedly called 911 to report a possible active shooter in the store.
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Click for more informationBrashears fled the store with the shotgun via a rear fire exit as police arrived.
Witnesses reported seeing a man in the 4400 block of Hannegan Road toss a long gun in the brush and run off.
Brashears was soon after taken into custody and identified using store surveillance video as the man who damaged the display cases and took the shotgun. The shotgun was located near where the witnesses had reported seeing him toss it.
Brashears made a preliminary appearance in Whatcom County Superior Court on Thursday, August 25th, where he faces charges of 1st degree burglary, theft of a firearm and 2nd degree malicious mischief with damages exceeding $750. Prosecutors requested $100,000 bail and the court set it at $100,000 bond or $10,000 cash.
An arraignment is scheduled for Friday, September 2nd.