46-year-old man arrested after standoff with police at Whatcom County motel Tuesday

A 46-year-old man was arrested after a six-hour standoff with police at a Whatcom County motel Tuesday morning.

The Ferndale Police Department booked Kenneth Frank Velen into Whatcom County Jail shortly before noon Tuesday, Oct. 4, on suspicion of first-degree assault with a firearm, according to jail records.

City of Ferndale spokesperson Riley Sweeney confirmed to The Bellingham Herald in an email that Velen was the man arrested in relation to Tuesday morning’s standoff.

Velen does not have a criminal history listed within Washington state, according to court records.

The Ferndale Police Department first reported the incident on social media Tuesday morning, saying they were responding to a situation at the intersection of Barrett Road and Main Street.

“Please avoid the area if possible,” the Facebook post read.

The incident began when Ferndale Police attempted to make a traffic stop of a white Chevrolet Blazer driven by Velen on suspicion of making an illegal turn and having no license plates and an unreadable temporary tag, Sweeney told The Herald.

Velen pulled into the Haggen parking lot, Sweeney reported, but when police attempted to speak to him, Velen opened the driver’s side and pointed an AR-style rifle at officers.

Velen then drove off, with police following, according to Sweeney. The Blazer was located near Main Street and Interstate 5, and Velen was seen entering the nearby Super 8 Motel, Sweeney reported.

Ferndale police set up a perimeter around the motel and the SWAT team responded, Sweeney reported.

People already in the motel were told to stay in their rooms, Sweeney told The Herald, and the McDonald’s restaurant in the area also was placed on lockdown.

Nearly six hours after the initial traffic stop, Velen was safely taken into custody at approximately 10:10 a.m., Sweeney reported.

“The Ferndale Police would like to thank all of our partner agencies for their support during this incident,” Sweeney wrote in his latest update on the incident, adding that more information would be released after the situation is resolved.