WWU police officer fired, district files assault charges after January incident

BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A campus police officer has been fired from Western Washington University for allegedly assaulting a suspect during an arrest.

Katy Potts, chief of university police, said two police officers caught someone trying to break into one of their personal vehicles on January 20, 2024.

While the suspect was being handcuffed and searched, one of the officers punched him in the face. University police say the suspect was not a student.

Potts says the incident was confirmed by body camera and audio recordings.

University police found out and asked Bellingham police to conduct an internal investigation before referring the case to Mount Vernon police for criminal investigation. The case was later referred to the Whatcom County District Attorney’s Office, which informed Police Chief Potts on Monday, July 8, that the county would be filing fourth-degree assault charges against one of the officers.

That officer, identified as Robert Anderson, was fired on Thursday, July 11, while the other, unnamed officer remains on leave pending an internal review by the Bellingham Police Department.

According to Police Chief Potts, officers are required to treat everyone with dignity, respect and restraint and should only use force when deemed appropriate given the circumstances.

The university is not making any further comment on the investigation at this time.