Bellingham PD: 17-year-old arrested for pulling gun during high school graduation ceremony
BELLINGHAM, Wash. - Bellingham Police arrested a 17-year-old armed with a handgun during a confrontation at high school graduation.
During a graduation ceremony at Bellingham's Civic Field on Saturday, two officers on duty there were alerted to a fight in the courtyard, which broke out after commencement. They arrived and found an adult man yelling at a 17-year-old boy.
Once they separated the two, the adult told police the 17-year-old had pulled a gun on his son twice before. He went to confront the boy, and the two started arguing.
The boy told the other officer he was accused of having a gun, but said he did not have one. He reached into his pocket, and the officer grabbed him as a precaution and tried to frisk him. Authorities say she felt the butt of a gun in his waistband, but the boy pulled away and refused to cooperate with police.
Police say he made movements like he was going to run or pull a gun on them, so officers tackled him and recovered a loaded Glock handgun in his pants.
An investigation revealed the 17-year-old pulled a gun on the adult when he went to confront him and said, "I'm going to cap your ass right here, right now."
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Officers arrested the 17-year-old and charged him with felony harassment, unlawful possession of a firearm, obstructing police and carrying a weapon at a school facility. He was booked into the Whatcom County Juvenile Detention Facility.