PEACEFUL VALLEY, Wash. — Two Whatcom County sheriff’s deputies who were shot while responding to a call last week have been released from the hospital.
Deputies Ryan Rathbun and Jason Thompson continue to recover after Joel Young allegedly shot them during a confrontation in Peaceful Valley on Feb. 10, according to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office.
The incident began when Young’s neighbor started a burn pile in the yard and the smoke entered Young’s home, angering him, according to the Bellingham Police Department, which has taken over the investigation.
Young allegedly asked the neighbor to put the fire out and the two exchanged words. Police say Young then grabbed a shotgun and fired a round of birdshot toward the neighbor.
Rathbun and Thompson responded to the scene after receiving reports of shots fired. When Young met the deputies outside, he started yelling at them and fired at the deputies, hitting one in the head, according to police. The second deputy returned fire, and police said Young shot the second deputy, also in the head.
Young was charged with two counts of first-degree attempted murder and is being held on $5 million bail.
Rathbun has been with WCSO for almost 16 years serving as a field training officer and as part of the criminal interdiction team and the SWAT team. Thompson has been with WCSO for 13 years and is part of the crisis negotiations team and the criminal interdiction team, according to WCSO.