KING COUNTY, Wash. — A King County couple faces a federal drug charge after a shooting near North Bend prompted a search warrant that revealed kilograms of drugs, 17 firearms and grenades.
Chandler Bennett and Braiden Wilson were each charged Thursday in U.S. District Court with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute, per documents filed in the case.
King County Sheriff's deputies responded to a 911 call at a motorhome east of North Bend "in the area" of Southeast Homestead Valley Road, per the probable cause summary. Wilson was found with a gunshot wound in his arm, and Bennett was also at the scene and identified herself as the victim's girlfriend.
Deputies say the shooting occurred near a motorhome with multiple surveillance cameras on the exterior, including one that faced where the shooting occurred. Deputies attempted to enter the home and review the surveillance video, but Bennett did not allow them access.
Bennett continued to refuse to cooperate with deputies, court documents say, and after she left for the hospital, deputies applied for and were granted a search warrant to go inside the motorhome.
Wilson returned to the motorhome with Bennett after he was discharged from the hospital to find King County deputies at the scene awaiting a warrant to enter the home. The deputies told the couple that they could not enter the motorhome for the time being as "it was an active crime scene," court documents say.
Eventually, Wilson insisted he needed to enter the motorhome and an altercation ensued with deputies, which led to a taser being used on him. The couple eventually were allowed to leave the scene.
Upon entering the motorhome, deputies found suspected fentanyl powder, over 2.5 kilograms of suspected fentanyl pills, "counterfeit Xanax," and a homemade pill press and pill die sets.
Along with the 17 firearms found, deputies also discovered body armor, ballistic shields, ammunition, and a 3D printer that appeared to have been used to make parts for an assault rifle. Grenades and other explosive devices were also found. Deputies said many of the items were in plain view inside the motorhome.
Wilson and Bennett co-own the motorhome where the contraband was found, court documents say, and both had belongings that were "co-located" with the items seized.
In their initial court appearances Thursday, Bennett agreed to detention until the next court date, and Wilson requested a detention hearing set for May 21.