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

University Police Department Chief Katy Potts says two police officers caught someone who was trying to break into one of their private vehicles on January 20, 2024.

While the suspect was handcuffed and searched, one of the officers hit the suspect in the face. University Police say the suspect was not a student.

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

University Police found out and asked Bellingham Police to do an internal review before sending it to Mount Vernon Police for a criminal investigation. The case was later forwarded to the Whatcom County Prosecutor’s Office, which told Chief Potts on Monday, July 8, that the county will be pursuing 4th 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 administrative leave pending the internal review by Bellingham Police.

Chief Potts says officers are obligated to treat everyone with dignity, respect and restraint, and that officers should only use force when it’s deemed reasonable based on the circumstances.

The university is offering no further comment on the investigation at this time.