Six months after leading multiple law enforcement agencies on a cross-border car chase starting in Canada and through Whatcom and Skagit counties in December 2024, Shawn Bergstrom pled guilty to two felony charges in Whatcom County Superior Court on June 9.
Bergstrom, 42, used a machete to carjack a black Toyota pickup truck on the Canadian side of the Peace Arch border crossing, sped past Customs and Border Protection (CBP) checkpoints, rammed a civilian vehicle and nearly hit a CBP officer, according to court documents.
Bergstrom then led Washington State Patrol, Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office, and CBP on a high-speed chase southbound on I-5, reaching speeds of up to 103 miles per hour. Bergstrom was eventually stopped by a PIT maneuver near the Bow Hill rest area. He was charged with assault in the second degree with a deadly weapon, possession of a stolen vehicle, and attempting to elude police, along with a misdemeanor charge of hit and run.
During pre-trial detention, Bergstrom, who was identified in court documents as homeless and living in B.C., was committed to Western State Hospital on December 20 to receive competency restoration and mental health treatment, according to court records. He was discharged April 28.
During his guilty plea and sentencing hearing on June 9, Bergstrom pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree assault with a deadly weapon and attempting to elude a police vehicle. The judge in the case recommended an eight-month sentence, with Bergstrom receiving credit for seven months served pre-trial.
Bergstrom will be extradited to Canada after his sentence is served in Whatcom County Jail.
