Bail was set at $1 million each for two men who have been charged in connection with a Sunday night shooting between two motorcycle gangs in a busy part of Birch Bay that left one person injured.
Roman Mayne de Isla Puga, a 31-year-old Boise, Idaho, resident, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon, drive-by shooting and making a false statement to law enforcement.
William Huskey, a 54-year-old man who lives in Snohomish, was charged with assault with a deadly weapon and reckless endangerment.
Both men pleaded not guilty on Tuesday in Whatcom County Superior Court. They remained in Whatcom County Jail on Wednesday.
While acknowledging that neither man had a criminal history, Kacie Emerick, a commissioner for the court, set the high bail amount for both, noting “very serious allegations” of individuals shooting at each other in a place full of “innocent community members.”
“This is a very busy area, a busy part of Birch Bay,” Emerick said, adding that the shots fired resulted in bullet holes in residential units in the area.
An attorney for Huskey said he was defending himself and his wife.
Whatcom County Sheriff’s detectives are continuing to investigate the shooting, which occurred about 7:15 p.m. Sunday in the 7800 block of Birch Bay Drive.
The person who was hurt sustained injuries that were non-life threatening.
The Sheriff’s Office said in an email to The Northern Light that investigators determined the involvement of motorcycle gangs “based on gang-identifying lettering and badges on the individuals’ clothing.”
The Sheriff’s Office said there’s no known threat to the public. Blaine Police were called in and helped apprehend one of the suspects.
Photos taken on Sunday night showed crime scene tape and bullet casings on the sidewalk in front of Bay Breeze Restaurant and Bar.
It wasn’t immediately known whether the person who was hurt was a member of the motorcycle gangs, although neither Huskey nor Mayne, which is the last name he told the court commissioner he used, appeared injured during their court appearance.
People with information about the incident are being asked to call the Sheriff’s Office tip line at 360-778-6663.
No further information about the investigation was available on Wednesday.
