The attorney for a Bellingham Police Department sergeant accused of domestic violence has been granted additional time to prepare his client’s case against what he calls “unproven allegations” detailed in a protection order filed against the officer on Feb. 26.
The complaint states that Joshua Richard McKissick, 44, has a history of sexually abusing a woman, controlling her and threatening her children. McKissick on Feb. 27 surrendered seven firearms, including a pump-action shotgun and an AR-15-style rifle, to the Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office in accordance with a court order.
McKissick has been on administrative leave since Feb. 27 in the wake of the accusations.
On Monday, March 11, a Whatcom County Superior Court commissioner granted a request by McKissick’s attorney, Jason Powers, to postpone the initial hearing.
Powers told Cascadia Daily news the postponement was necessary “to be able to respond to these unproven allegations that stem from an acrimonious divorce” process. It has been continued until April 11.
The court did maintain a previous temporary order issued for the surrender and prohibition of McKissick’s weapons.
McKissick’s status with the Bellingham Police Department has changed twice since December.
BPD “immediately” put McKissick on administrative desk duty after learning that he was under investigation by the Lynden Police Department on Dec. 6, Melissa Morin, assistant communications director for the City of Bellingham, stated in an email. Bellingham Police Chief Rebecca Mertzig moved McKissick to administrative leave on Feb. 27 after learning about the Domestic Violence Protection Order and the order to surrender firearms and other deadly weapons, Morin said.
According to court documents, McKissick threatened to have one of the woman’s children arrested and placed in juvenile detention because, as a police officer, he “could make that happen.” Cascadia Daily News does not typically identify victims of domestic violence.
“Joshua has told me that he has had visions, dreams and hallucinations of my son dead. He has shown up to crime scenes and believed he saw my son’s face,” the woman wrote in her petition for the protective order.
The woman also voiced concerns about McKissick’s alleged history of suicidal thoughts.
“I am concerned that without support, he is a danger to himself and others,” the woman wrote. “I am incredibly afraid that he will harm me, my child or himself if I am not immediately protected after I file this petition.”
To avoid any appearance of bias, the Everett Police Department will handle the city’s administrative investigation, Morin said. Lynden police will continue with the original criminal investigation.
“Both the criminal and administrative investigations regarding these matters are still ongoing,” Morin wrote.
In June 2019, after 12 years with the department, McKissick became a neighborhood police officer, providing a variety of safety-related services including de-escalation training, active shooter response and workplace and personal safety training.
He is also known to have been a member of the city’s SWAT team. McKissick was promoted from corporal to sergeant in the spring of 2021.
Isaac Stone Simonelli is CDN’s enterprise/investigations reporter; reach him at isaacsimonelli@cascadiadaily.com; 360-922-3090 ext. 127.
