Man is accused of threatening to shoot Bellingham employees, plant bomb at business
A Burlington man who allegedly threatened to have placed a bomb inside a vehicle at a Bellingham car dealership and to shoot people leaving the business in late March has been arrested and charged in the incident.
Martin Francis Jorgensen, 65, was charged Aug. 11 in Whatcom County Superior Court with one count of felony harassment and one count of threats to bomb or injure property.
He was issued a summons to appear for a Sept. 1. court hearing. Jorgensen did not appear at the hearing and a warrant for his arrest with a $7,500 bail was issued the same day, according to court records.
Whatcom County Senior Deputy Public Defender Jane Boman filed a motion Sept. 27 requesting the warrant for Jorgensen’s arrest be quashed.
A first appearance and warrant quash hearing was scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 3. Details from the court hearing were not immediately available.
Jorgensen was then booked into the Whatcom County Jail shortly before 10 a.m. Tuesday, and was released roughly 30 minutes later, according to jail records.
The Bellingham Herald has reached out to Jorgensen’s defense attorney for more information.
‘Clearly agitated’
On March 28, Bellingham police responded to the Bellingham Ford Lincoln car dealership in the 1800 block of James Street for the report of a customer who was making threats toward an employee.
Employees told Bellingham police that a man, later identified as Jorgensen, had come to the dealership in an attempt to pick up his vehicle after he had been refused service.
While at the dealership, Jorgensen allegedly made threats toward an employee’s family and said he would “come for them.” The employee told police they did not believe or fear that Jorgensen would act on the threats to their family, according to court records.
While leaving the dealership, Jorgensen allegedly threw coffee at a wall and trash out of his vehicle window.
Bellingham police then called a phone number associated with Jorgensen. An officer stated that Jorgensen “was clearly agitated” while speaking on the phone.
Jorgensen allegedly made additional threats during the phone call with the officer, including making specific references to killing people with a firearm and killing himself, the court records state.
Roughly an hour later, Bellingham police were called to the car dealership again, as employees had made another 911 call regarding Jorgensen.
An employee told Bellingham police that Jorgensen had called the business and left a voicemail stating he had “planted a bomb in a vehicle” and made threats “to shoot up the business,” according to court records.
Threats continue
In the voicemail, Jorgensen allegedly stated multiple times that he would shoot people leaving the car dealership with a “’high-powered rifle’ and that he was actively watching the premises from the hills.” Jorgensen also said he had put a bomb inside of a vehicle on the property, the records state.
Jorgensen’s alleged threats were recorded in the voicemail, documents state.
The dealership employee told Bellingham police he was concerned with the new threats from Jorgensen and that he was worried for the safety of the staff, patrons, the dealership and himself.
The officer told the employee about the previous conversation they had with Jorgensen. The officer told the employee that Jorgensen “appeared to be suffering from behavioral health issues, and to keep watch in case any suspicious activity does occur, or (Jorgensen) returns to the property,” according to court records.
Probable cause was developed at the time to arrest Jorgensen for threatening to kill anyone in the area of the car dealership and for making a bomb threat, court documents state.
When asked Tuesday whether Bellingham Police’s bomb squad responded to the Bellingham Ford Lincoln dealership or whether a check for explosive devices was done, Bellingham police Lt. Claudia Murphy did not respond.
