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Bellingham, WA

A Sunnyland neighborhood resident armed with a gun reportedly attempted to stop a man carrying a knife from breaking into a car Saturday night but nearly had the gun pried from his hands and turned against him before police arrived.

Bellingham police booked Jesse Hill into Whatcom County Jail on suspicion of first-degree robbery, second-degree vehicle prowling, third-degree theft and obstructing a police officer. Jail records show he is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.

Officers were called at 11:30 p.m. July 11 to the 900 block of East North Street for the report of an interrupted vehicle prowl, Lt. Claudia Murphy told The Bellingham Herald in an email.

The victim was alerted to someone being on his property by a security system, Murphy reported. The victim armed himself, went outside, saw Hill standing near his neighbor’s car and noticed that his own truck had already been broken into, as the interior lights were on.

The victim told Hill not to leave until the police arrived, Murphy wrote, but Hill tried to talk his way out of being caught and started to walk toward the victim with his arms stretched out.

The victim told Hill he would defend himself if Hill continued to approach, Murphy reported, but Hill continued, and the victim fired a warning shot.

Instead of stopping, Hill attacked the victim, Murphy wrote, and attempted to wrestle the gun from the victim’s hand. During the struggle, the victim said he could feel Hill trying to turn the gun into the victim’s body and feared Hill was going to shoot him.

As police arrived, Hill ran off with the victim and a neighbor, who also had been alerted to the vehicle prowl, in pursuit, Murphy reported.

Officers surrounded the area and located Hill lying on a roof with the knife still in his hand, Murphy reported. Hill was told to drop the knife, but he instead jumped off the roof and tried to run again, but fell over some lawn furniture.

Hill continued to hold the knife and was slow to comply with the officer’s commands to drop it, until more officers arrived and he was taken into custody, Murphy wrote, though he continued to resist.

The victim suffered an undetermined injury during the struggle with Hill and will have to visit a doctor, Murphy reported.