In the pre-dawn hours of October 16, 2022, a violent encounter in Bellingham, Washington, claimed the life of 31-year-old Isaiah J. Mayshack, a Black male resident of the city. The incident unfolded in Bellingham's Roosevelt neighborhood, leaving another man seriously injured. Around 3:18 a.m., a 911 call was made from the 2300 block of Valencia Street by a man who reported he had been shot. While police were responding to that scene, PeaceHealth St.
Joseph Medical Center reported that a man, later identified as Mayshack, had been brought to the emergency department by private vehicle with gunshot wounds. Despite medical efforts, Mayshack succumbed to his injuries at the hospital.
The investigation into the shooting revealed a complex situation involving a drug transaction and an attempted robbery. The man who had called 911 was identified as 28-year-old Matthew Roberts of Eugene, Oregon. He was found with an unloaded handgun and significant quantities of what was later determined to be cocaine and pills containing fentanyl. A bloody trail from where Mayshack was found led investigators to an apartment on Texas Street. It was determined that both Mayshack and Roberts had shot each other with different firearms during the altercation.
Subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Roberts on suspicion of second-degree murder, drive-by shooting, and drug charges. Further inquiries identified two other men believed to be involved in the incident. Darian Polee, 26, was arrested on October 31st after being found hiding in a manure bog near Ferndale. Investigators believe Polee and Mayshack had planned to rob Roberts, who was in town to sell narcotics. A third suspect, 24-year-old Wayne Sewell, was arrested on November 3rd. It is alleged that Sewell was in the vehicle with Polee and Roberts when Mayshack approached with a gun. Police suspect that after Roberts shot Mayshack, Sewell, who was in the back seat, shot Roberts in the back.
