Bellingham City Council members angered by rifle-toting men downtown

A militia group has agreed to stop patrolling downtown Bellingham with military-style rifles slung over their shoulders, Police Chief David Doll told the City Council during a Monday afternoon committee meeting held online.

Doll told the council that he talked to one of the men, who said they were part of a national organization called the Three Percenters, and told him that the group’s presence was making people uncomfortable at a time when the nation is mourning the latest instances of black Americans killed by police and by white vigilantes.

“I asked him to consider the implications of his actions,” Doll told the council. “Since that time, I’m thankful that the group has chosen not to display their weapons.”