Sumas, Washington (KGMI Radio Bellingham) – The Whatcom County Prosecutor says the fatal shooting of a Canadian man at the Sumas border crossing in March was justified.
Prosecutor Dave McEachran says the man, later identified as Jamison Childress, had threatened multiple Sumas police officers and Border agents with bear mace spray.
He had crossed the border illegally on March 19 and tripped a sensor, leading officers to respond. Childress threatened the first responding officer with bear mace spray he took out a backpack he had on him. He then took off up a steep hill into some blackberry bushes.
Childress ultimately cornered another Border agent against a drainage ditch. The agent repeatedly asked him to drop the spray and back away, but Childress keep yelling, swearing and threatening him.
McEachran says the situation ended when Childress lunged at the agent and sprayed him with the bear mace. Other officers at the scene saw the spray hit the officer. The agent fired his gun twice and hit Childress once. He died at the scene.
McEachran says the officers all did the best they could in the situation. He says it very well could have been a suicide by cop situation, but it’s hard to know for sure.
Childress was wanted for a homicide in Calgary earlier in the month.
