WHATCOM COUNTY, Wash. — A man accused of opening fire on two Whatcom County deputies had several more charges filed against him.
On Friday, Joel Young, 60, pleaded not guilty to a string of charges including attempted murder, assault, harassment and reckless endangerment.
According to a news release, Young was home drinking around 3 p.m. Feb. 10, when his neighbor started to burn a pile of garbage.
According to Young, his home filled with smoke, which enraged him.
Young went outside and yelled at his neighbor to put out the fire.
Young’s neighbor told him to “F*** off,” which further enraged Young.
Young went back inside his house and retrieved a shotgun, loaded it with birdshot, and fired a round into the air toward the neighbor.
Young went back inside to have another beer.
Around 4:17 p.m., 911 was called and two deputies arrived at the scene around 4:40 p.m.
The deputies crouched by a neighbor’s garage and yelled for Young to “Drop the gun.”
Young went outside, yelled at the deputies and fired his shotgun at one of them, hitting him in the head and dropping him to the ground.
The second deputy stepped forward and returned fire.
Young shot again, striking the second deputy.
Deputies Jason Thompson and Ryan Rathburn were hit in the face with birdshot from a 12-gauge shotgun.
The two deputies are both out of the hospital.
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