Sheriff’s office uses less-lethal tactics to arrest Blaine man for firearm endangerment, eluding deputies

Whatcom County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) deputies arrested a Blaine man who attempted to elude deputies after firing a gun unsafely on May 30.
Around 6:30 p.m. on May 30, Ferndale residents in the 3800 block of Bay Road reported that someone was firing a firearm unsafely and bullets were going over their heads, according to a WCSO report. WCSO spokesperson Deb Slater said the suspect was unsafely shooting through an abandoned barn. A resident wrote down the license plate of the silver 2018 Dodge 1500 owned by the suspect, who sheriff’s deputies identified as 31-year-old Michael Robert Gubser of Blaine.
Deputies attempted to stop Gubser in the 8400 block of Harborview Road but he drove away. State law prevented deputies from pursuing Gubser but they observed him get his truck stuck in mud after he drove into a grassy field. WCSO deputies set up containment between Harborview, Anderson, Shintaffer and Lincoln roads and tracked him with K-9s.
A resident in the 5000 block of Lincoln Road reported a man on their property around 1:15 a.m. May 31, and deputies found Gubser hiding in a lean-to shed. WCSO deputies used a FN 303, a less-lethal projectile launcher, on Gubser after he refused to cooperate, according to Slater and the WCSO statement. Deputies found a .308 rifle, semiautomatic .223 rifle and 9mm handgun in Gubser’s truck, Slater said.
Gubser was treated at St. Joseph Medical Center in Bellingham as a precaution and released, Slater said. He was booked into Whatcom County Jail for two counts of first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm, second-degree burglary, two counts of resisting arrest, reckless endangerment and eluding police.
Gubser was wanted on felony charges in Siskiyou County in northern California for driving without a license and falsely representing himself to officers in June 2020, according to Siskiyou County Superior Court records. Whatcom County Jail booking data shows he is being held without bail.
On May 30, WCSO deputies responded to a home in the 8900 block of Semiahmoo Drive that was struck by a bullet. Slater said both investigations are active and are not confirmed to be related. No further information will be released at this time, she said.