Sheriff's Office why don't you come out
and talk to me with your hands empty
Sheriff drop the
gun if we call the cops he was going to
kill us and the first time said that
today
today shots fired shots fired you
okay on February 10th 2022 911
Dispatchers in Maple Falls Washington
began to receive re multiple complaints
about a belligerent resident in a nearby
subdivision what started as a routine
disturbing the peace call quickly
devolved into a violent scene of
brutality so insane even ARA neighbors
were compelled to pick up arms and fight
back some of the footage you're about to
see has never been seen
before
howy who are you having trouble with the
neighbors it began with a series of
complaints from Maple fall residents
that their reclusive neighbor later
identified as the then 60-year-old Joel
Burke young had been discharging a
shotgun into the air and making verbal
threats against them oh say making smoke
okay okay I'm not the burn band police
so I don't know if there's a burn band
because of the air quality I don't know
I have no freaking idea no I don't
either so who's out shooting a shotgun
in the air deputies Ryan Rathbun and
Jason Thompson of the watcom county
sheriff's office in Washington are the
first respond completely unaware of just
how dangerous this situation will soon
become but he's just out here being an
correct fire correct that's that's
correct and you're like what dude so
you're going to go that's correct yeah
you're more than prepared to put it out
you didn't make any threats to shoot
anybody he didn't make any threats to
kill you nope okay these guys are pissed
off because he's well he may have he may
have but I I wasn't overly concerned
about it okay okay let me go talk to
these guys and I'll brief him real fast
these guys are out here all armed up and
pissed stuff cuz they're they're like
the local neighborhood buddies and watch
group right they're like why the is he
shooting theing gun out here yada y y
they're pissed about that the trigger
happy suspect will soon appear just off
camera opening his front door to make it
known exactly how he feels about the
whole situation have we talked to him is
he no no one's talked to him yet okay so
probably two officer contacting talk to
him 72 walking the see
I don't know what this guy's name
is Hey Ron you want to go back in the
house he's he was back out of the door
yelling so I just don't want you in the
backyard do you know his name no no he
doesn't know his
name yeah just wait get garages or stuff
I just don't want you getting shop yeah
so he's going to come to the door and
yell and be
foolish
I don't want to order him out till we
get another
person Hey sir hey you want to shoot no
it's a sheriff's office why don't you
come out with your hands empty and talk
to us yes my okay well that's different
do you want to just keep an eye on that
and we'll talk to these guys yeah sure
while Deputy Thompson maintains visual
on the Young House Deputy Rathbun talks
with nearby residents hoping to gain
some insight into the mind and mentality
of their suspect well he just asked me
to kiss his maybe it was Deputy Thompson
I don't
[Applause]
know shot slug the plug okay so I mean
that's when I saw the plug land in our
backyard just why don't you come out and
talk to me with your hands empty if
you're a sheriff
of get the out of here tell these people
to put goddamn smoke down take a ride on
the Wild Side hit it based on the
suspect's dangerous Behavior behavior
and blatant refusal to follow the
officer's instructions this situation
has the potential to quickly take a
catastrophic turn but if he's shooting
it up in the air it's raining a house
over on the kids do we have
a a reckless endangerment issue this
isn't the first time and he told us if
we call the cops he was going to kill us
and the first time he said that today
today he said call the cops and I'll
kill you and PRI and we said fine we'll
go get our guns we're call the cops to
you guys today he yelled that to you
just when this happened cuz we told him
to stop shooting we kids outside told us
to go ourselves you can put some notes
in CAD our subject appears to be
Intoxicated
by interaction verbal and physical he's
armed with a shotgun he's aware of Law
enforcements and is here and doesn't
care said fine we're calling the cops
and he said do it and I'll kill you and
you saw him armed with a gun yeah he
shot do you believe he would possibly
engage and shoot you guys this all be an
audio and video recorded everyone
reason it seems Young's Antics had been
escalating for some time to the point
where his neighbors feel their lives are
now at risk but no one is prepared for
just how violently unhinged young can
really be he went back in the house and
proceeded to egg me on and yell
obscenities at me through the window
okay and I informed him that I'm a
veteran he wants to around I was in
Afghanistan I don't care come outside
right I I'll dump right here you
threatened me this household and our
family mhm I defend all terrorists
foreign and domestic I don't care mhm so
that is the and that's why you and
that's why you went and armed
yourself drop the
gun drop the
gun we're going to deal with the Cavalry
is coming we're going to deal with him
whatever that looks like he's not going
to be allowed to shoot guns and and
right so we're gonna take care of it
away I I feel you I know what you're
saying
I we're we're going to deal with it
suddenly all hell breaks loose go
Sheriff's Office drop the
[Laughter]
gun shots fired CHS fired you
okay I'm
here 74
welcome that's right with both deputies
struck down by gunfire it's the
neighbors who take up up arms to defend
against the maniac terrorizing their
streets after one of the men unloads an
entire magazine into the window of the
suspect's house the others help the
wounded deputies into the cover of the
nearby garage where they quickly attempt
to render first
aid keep driving keep
driving you he they're coming B shots
fired at the front
door hey get back
I'm all right not all
right Jay we got we got hit the bank Jay
and I are out of
here tell hey go to my van in the back
of the vanand is med kit big red bag
black backpack please grab
it I don't have a whole
lot yeah you okay yeah I need aid but we
need Replacements are you hit yes in the
head we're both hit in the head both
officers in the
head I'm losing vision my left eye
okay please sit down I got your cover
man yeah I'm just trying to bleed here
while the extent of the officer's
injuries isn't yet known it's clear that
they're in desperate need of medical
attention additional members of law
enforcement continue to arrive at the
scene to assist but the shooter is still
at large there's no telling what'll
happen next I doubted it was a slug cuz
I wouldn't be here no it wasn't a slug
we got
BB's I got St
bad how many you
want Jay stay armed
up you need it back over
here he shot me at the front door
mine's right
here on the can you can you drive bone
yeah I can drive as the harrowing
standoff continues the injured officers
have no choice but to transport
themselves in an attempt to obtain the
medical care they
need hey what's your name up
there
get in bone get in back seat get in
7 72 and I are self extricating 2 Aid
you can let with the fire hall that
we're coming in with gunshot
ones at fire
[Music]
hall behind
k
okay we're both
shot we are the ones that are shot don't
go any further
down we got two victims both with butt
shot shot to the forehead
both we can all run one ambulance yeah
we're going to we only have one
here so who shot you guy the house
what's his name I don't know
331
yeah it's going to load you guys up okay
okay put your rifle down I want to load
you up and
go with white trim we got a bunch of
civilians helping us
with the injured deputies safely in the
care of Emergency Services tactical
units can focus on swiftly bringing the
suspect to Justice and indeed it won't
be long before the full force of the
watcom County Sheriff's Office descends
upon the home of the alleged shooter all
right I'll take a look at the map how
far up are we from
here be safe we take the guy's still in
the house just attempted murder got you
times two right where' James
go got that James hey
triplet we're gonna take two and go
around King Valley that way what's that
we're going to take him and I are going
to go up King Valley and go around the
East I want you to stay further up from
frer sw's going to take all the tight
stuff yeah that makes sense uh if
there's a way when we get back there if
you can if there's a way to make contact
with Hy stack I want to get this mve
because we're going have a big piece of
armor coming in okay Austin what do you
need for me um I don't know I think I
just should a go team where jum Barat by
other side shoot that doorer okay um I
think they're pretty well empty so I
don't think there's very many people in
there yet so whatever you need okay uh
and shotgun there we don't know that's
what he was firing originally I guess
but we don't know what they got
C and nobody has eyes on the guy so we
don't know if he's in there or not they
assuming he is okay but they have pretty
good par par in the South Southeast we
have a description clothing we have
nothing nothing so with his house
surrounded by an army of LA enforcement
officials and armored vehicles it
appears young doesn't quite grasp the
severity of the situation as he finally
opens his front door and makes his
presence
known door's opening door's open door
open show your hands hands
up put your hands up right
now you're under arrest step out front
hands in the
air step out follow commands show me
your hands keep your hands up hands up
higher keep your hands up walk out to
the
street get the FN ready suspect at the
front door laughing at
[Music]
Us Joel Young wouldn't have the last
laugh however at 6:03 p.m. officer
secured young in handcuffs bringing an
in into a day of needless Terror and
indiscriminate violence get on your face
hands out hands out I got the house
hands out to your side all the way Jaren
out of the
turret you guys are really making a big
scham out another keep your taser on him
he has no idea what he did who I at this
guy you guys are here for me like he has
no idea amazingly despite the flirt of
gunfire directed at his property Joel
Young was completely unscathed with the
alleged shooter in cuffs it wasn't long
before the heroic exploits of the
gunslinging neighbors began to circulate
among the ranks cuz he was jacking a
shotgun around so him and Jay I think
they were like approaching I don't know
how close they got I don't know if they
th and I don't know if they returned
fire return fire I don't no they did
they but that the neighbors returned
fire oh the neighbors neb those
neighbors right there when bone got hit
they came up to get bone and they re
chared fire one of them with a shotgun
with a rifle shot at the guy here they
grab bone and brought back gotcha well
good everybody's looking at the house
and I'm like all right this is my
team call me and I didn't know who those
guys were but they were
great do we have we know exactly what
houses they're
at know what do we know what houses are
are assistant were at
oh it is that
one okay officers we don't know yeah
that breaks my heart is like he like
family he's like family he was standing
right over by the door there where you
mean where the garage door is where the
lights on yeah okay so he was standing
there and he said he was a sheriff yeah
then what happened and then I said
you that's what you do right okay it's
not that I don't appreciate sh my dad
was a
bitature
okay I appreciate all you people that
ain't the point I'm really getting damn
tired of this what's going on you can
throw me in jail if you want it's okay
I'm not a threat to you cuz I'm sick of
this right I got neighbors over here
that are freaking
crazy I can't out of here I want to move
somewhere else but if you throw me in
jail I guess I'll just sit there till I
die despite both officers suffering
wounds caused by birdshot to their faces
deputies Ryan Rathbun and Jason Thompson
would eventually make full recoveries
and returned to duty nearly a year after
this horrific experience each was
awarded the state Medal of Honor in May
of
20123 Joel Burke young faces several
felony charges including two counts of
aemp Ed first-degree murder he pleaded
not guilty at his arraignment on
February 18th 2022 as of January of 2024
he's still awaiting trial and remains in
custody at the Skagit County Jail