Bellingham man killed in officer-involved shooting in Maple Falls
A 36-year-old Bellingham man was fatally shot by a law enforcement officer while being taken into custody Sunday in Maple Falls.
Luis Fernandez, 36, and Kayla James, 38, of Bellingham were identified by police as suspects in a shooting on the 3500 block of N. Red River Road in Ferndale around 4:20 a.m. Saturday that left a 34-year-old man in critical condition.
Bellingham Police Department Lt. Claudia Murphy said WCSO learned that Fernandez and James were at a property on the 7700 block of Kendall Road in Maple Falls. The WCSO Special Response Unit, which is composed of the Crisis Negotiations Team and Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team, went to the property Sunday.
Murphy said shots were fired while the suspects were being taken into custody, though no further details were provided. Fernandez was injured in the shooting and died at the scene.
The WCSO SWAT team is composed of deputies and officers from the Lynden and Ferndale Police Departments. Murphy declined to specify the agency where the officer who shot Fernandez works, and could not provide information about the officer’s employment status.
A WCSO spokesperson said she could not answer any questions about the incident.
James was booked into Whatcom County Jail on Lummi Nation Police charges of two counts of attempted homicide, robbery and residential burglary.
The Law Enforcement Multi-Agency Team (LEMART) is conducting an independent investigation of the officer-involved shooting. BPD is leading the effort.
Anyone with information about the officer-involved shooting is asked to contact LEMART by calling 360-778-8611 or online at cob.org/tips.
Lummi Nation Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation are continuing to investigate the shooting in Ferndale. Anyone with information is asked to contact the FBI at tips.fbi.gov or 800-225-5324.
Editor’s note (April 28): This article has been updated to reflect that while the officer was a member of the WCSO SWAT Team, it is unclear whether the officer is employed by WCSO.
This story was originally published April 27, 2026 at 4:52 PM with the headline "Bellingham man killed in officer-involved shooting in Maple Falls."