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IN THE SUPERIOR COURT OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON
FOR WHATCOM COUNTY
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THE STATE OF WASHINGTON,
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Plaintiff.
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vs.
DARRIN JAMES RANKIN,
Defendant.
No.: 15-1-00045-7
AFFIDAVIT OF PROBABLE CAUSE
DETERMINATION
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STATE OF WASHINGTON )
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COUNTY OF WHATCOM )
ss.
Eric J. Richey, being first duly sworn on oath, deposes and says: That he is a duly
appointed and acting Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney in and for Whatcom County,
State of Washington. The following information was received from the Bellingham Police
Department, Event No. 2015B01031. Your affiant believes that this information establishes
probable cause for the detention of DARRIN JAMES RANKIN.
Reports received from the Bellingham Police Department indicate that on January 9,
2015 at approximately 0233 hours, Officer Walker was in uniform and in a marked patrol vehicle
and driving southeast on W. Holly Street in the 300 block and saw a red Acura coupe traveling
westbound on Champion Street. The driver of the Acura was blaring the horn and flashing his
lights at the officer. As the officer stopped at the stop sign the driver sped in behind the officer
with his horn still blaring. The officer exited the vehicle as the driver was now stopped behind
him. The officer thought the driver may have been in distress and needed police help
immediately. The driver, who was later identified as Darrin Rankin by his Washington state
driver’s license, backed up about 30 feet, paused for a moment, and then accelerated as quickly
as possible aiming the middle of his vehicle right toward the officer. The officer was standing
just off the driver’s side corner of his patrol car. The officer jumped out of the way of the
vehicle and got back into his vehicle and initiated a pursuit. The officer thought he was going to
AFFIDAVIT OF PROBABLE CAUSE
DETERMINATION
-1Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney
311 Grand Avenue, Suite #201
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 676-6784
(360) 738-2532 Fax
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be struck and either seriously injured or killed when Darrin Rankin attempted to hit him with his
vehicle.
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As the officer was initiating pursuit the officer noticed that the time was around 0230
hours and there was moderately heavy foot traffic in the downtown area. There was relatively
light vehicle traffic in the area during this time. The officer activated his emergency lights and
siren and began to call out the pursuit. Rankin drove through the stop sign at Bay Street and
continued on W. Holly Street the wrong direction. His speed was around 30-35 mph. He turned
southwest on N. Forest Street going the wrong direction on a one-way street. He then turned on
E. Chestnut Street going northwest which again was the wrong direction on a one-way street.
The officer continued following Rankin onto Roeder Street where at the intersection of Roeder
and F Streets he ran through a red light without stopping. The pursuit ended through the use of a
pursuit intervention technique (PIT). Officer Kaiser gave Rankin the order to get out of his
vehicle and get on the ground. Rankin did not cooperate. Officer Kaiser deployed his K9
partner in order to detain Rankin.
While enroute to the jail Rankin asked why he was being placed under arrest and taken to
jail. The officer asked him if he remembered trying to run over the officer with his car and he
replied “yes and I’m sorry about that, I thought you would think it was fun.” The officer asked
Rankin why he thought that and why he tried to hit him and Rankin stated “I was trying to hit
and kill you because that’s your job, right? To lay down your life to protect citizens?”
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All of the above events occurred in Whatcom County, Washington.
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_________________________________
Eric J. Richey, #22860
FOR JAMES T. HULBERT
Chief Criminal Deputy Prosecuting Attorney
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SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this _____ day of January, 2015.
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___________________________________
NOTARY PUBLIC in and for the State of
Washington. My commission expires:
May 29, 2018
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AFFIDAVIT OF PROBABLE CAUSE
DETERMINATION
-2Whatcom County Prosecuting Attorney
311 Grand Avenue, Suite #201
Bellingham, WA 98225
(360) 676-6784
(360) 738-2532 Fax