MAPLE FALLS, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A trial is underway for the Maple Falls man accused of shooting two Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies.
63-year-old Joel Young is charged with two counts of attempted murder in connection to the non-fatal shooting of deputies Ryan Rathbun and Jason Thompson in Feb. 2022.
Court documents state the two deputies had responded to a report of Young, who appeared to be intoxicated, shooting a gun into the air near a residence in Maple Falls. Shortly after they arrived, Young allegedly shot both deputies in the head, though they survived the incident.
Both deputies were later awarded Medals of Honor from the state Attorney General’s Office. They eventually returned to patrol after the incident, but Rathbun retired in December 2023 and Thompson retired in May 2024.
Young pleaded not guilty to the attempted murder charges in the weeks after the shooting. His trial began on Sept. 9 and is expected to last for several weeks.
Young was initially held in Skagit County before being transported to the Whatcom County Jail ahead of his trial, where he’s being held on $5 million bail.
