MAPLE FALLS, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A Maple Falls man has been found guilty in the shooting two Whatcom County Sheriff’s deputies.
Court documents state that 63-year-old Joel Young was convicted of two counts of attempted murder on Sept. 19 following an eight-day trial.
The conviction stems from the non-fatal shooting of two deputies in February 2022 who had responded to a report of Young shooting a gun into the air near a home in Maple Falls. Young—who witnesses say was extremely intoxicated—was angry that his neighbor was burning a fire in their backyard and shot both deputies in the face after they arrived.
10 days after the guilty verdict, Young’s defense team requested a new trial because they claimed that a key piece of video evidence couldn’t be played for jurors during deliberations due to technical issues.
Prosecutors countered that jurors had seen the video at least twice before and that the technical issues didn’t affect the jury’s guilty verdict. The video contained surveillance footage that showed a neighbor allegedly pointing a gun at Young’s house prior to the shooting.
The court denied the defense’s request for a new trial, and the court has confirmed that Young’s sentencing is set for Tuesday, Oct. 22.
Editor’s note: This story was edited to reflect new information pertaining to Young’s sentencing date. Last updated: Oct. 11 at 2:00 p.m.
