Cases: Following up on past stories of arrest, lawsuits in the area

B y I an H aupt

Below are follow-up stories to previous arrests of residents or suspects in local crime cases and lawsuits that have since been resolved in court.

Birch Bay drive-by suspect pleads guilty to attempted murder

A Bellingham man who turned himself in February 20, 2022, after attempting to kill a Birch Bay man February 19, 2022 pleaded guilty to second-degree attempted murder and drive-by shooting in Whatcom County Superior Court January 9.

Martin Dylan Siergiey, 37, was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison and three years probation January 18 after pleading guilty to both charges.

Around 6 p.m. February 19, 2022, Siergiey approached a 28-year-old man in the 5500 block of Hillvue Road, asked who he was by name and began shooting at the man when he confirmed his identity, according to the affidavit of probable cause (APC). The man fled into a neighbor’s house. Siergiey believed the man had raped a member of his family.

Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies responded to the scene after receiving a report that the 28-year-old had been shot and the suspect was on the run. Deputies found a bullet had struck the man in his upper right thigh as he was running. He was treated at the scene and later saw a doctor, according to the APC. He was the only person injured. Two rounds also hit the neighbor’s house; one hit the headboard in their bedroom and another hit their bathroom closet.

The 28-year-old man provided a description and was able to identify Siergiey from a photo lineup.

Siergiey was identified as a possible suspect based on a suspicious circumstance report filed by a third party in November 2020 that accused the Birch Bay man of raping Siergiey’s female family member.

WCSO deputies and Bellingham Police Department officers later contacted Siergiey who turned himself in around 1 a.m. the following day after negotiations with deputies.

Custer man and Compass Health settle lawsuit out of court

A Custer man who worked as a mental health professional at Whatcom County Jail will receive a settlement for a lawsuit he filed against Whatcom County and Compass Health in July 2021.

Fred A. Pulphus filed a lawsuit July 13, 2021, in the U.S. district court in Seattle against behavioral healthcare agency Compass Health, Whatcom County, the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office and corrections chief Wendy Jones that was settled out of court, according to court documents.

The claims against Jones were dismissed January 3. A stipulation for dismissal will be filed for the other defendants once

Pulphus has been compensated. The lawsuit alleged that Compass Health, the county and its officials violated the Washington State Law Against Discrimination and interfered with Pulphus’ job because he is Black. It also alleged that Jones violated Pulphus’ 14th Amendment rights to due process and equal protection under the law when he was banned from working at the county jail after no action was taken following his repeated reports of racism and harassment in the workplace, according to the lawsuit.

Compass Health, headquartered in Snohomish County, is a community-based healthcare agency centered around northwest Washington. It provides behavioral and mental health services to adult and youth inmates at Whatcom County Jail and is part of a healthcare team that works alongside nurses and medical providers, according to court documents.

Pulphus’ lawsuit alleged that he was denied the process and disciplinary practices and policies extended to other employees, and Compass Health’s treatment of him was discriminatory. Pulphus was denied access to promotions, pay increases and other career opportunities, according to the lawsuit.

In December 2018, Compass Health recruited Pulphus to work on the jail’s behavioral health team. Upon being hired, Pulphus said in court documents that he experienced multiple incidents of discrimination and hostility in his two years working at the jail, including threats by a coworker who said they could recruit colleagues to get him fired.

In February 2019, Pulphus reported to his direct supervisor the ongoing harassment and racist comments. He also reported to the behavioral health team manager that a coworker was attempting to get him fired, but the manager allegedly said the coworkers were bullies and took no action.

Pulphus complained to Jones, but Jones and other county officials did not investigate or take action, according to the complaint. Pulphus also called the Compass Health company hotline to report the harassment and discrimination.

According to court documents, Pulphus continued to seek help and file reports of the racism and harassment, one of which was filed with Compass Health’s CEO. In November 2019, Pulphus met with a human resources representative at Compass Health.

In January 2020, a nursing supervisor at the jail told Whatcom County officials that Pulphus shared personal information of an inmate with healthcare team members and other people, breaching their privacy, the lawsuit read. Whatcom County officials subsequently banned Pulphus from working at the jail on January 23, 2020.

Blaine man gets over 7 years for multiple unlawful possession charges

A Blaine man will serve over seven years in prison for recklessly firing a rifle and handgun (See Cases, page 5)