Bounty Hunter arrested after shots fired in parking lot

Victim shaken but no injuries incurred BY PAM STEVENS | EDITOR After shooting off six live rounds from his 9mm pistol in the Norm’s Market parking lot on Friday, June 6, Nathan Lee Hingson, a 45-year-old Bail Recovery Agent for Bail Bond by Nate, was arrested on charges including assault in the second degree, reckless endangerment and unlawful discharge of a weapon within city limits.

After utilizing his own confidential informant, Hingson lured Tiffany Jensen, 25, to Norm’s Market in hopes of apprehending her because of outstanding misdemeanor warrants.

Jensen told police that Hingson did not identify himself as a bail recovery agent when he came up to her car window and pointed his gun at her head stating, “Open the door or I’ll shoot.”

After Jensen started to drive away in her truck, Hingson broke her car window and started shooting at her tires.

“Portions of her statement were later cooberated by other witnesses,” Lake Stevens Police Chief Randy Celori said.

Hingson was placed into custody last Wednesday by the Lake Stevens Police after Jensen secured her outstanding warrants through Wayen Marshall of Liberty Bail Bonds in Everett.

“I could run a statewide warrant search,” Marshall said of Jensen. “On Wednesday, I got new court dates for every one of her citations.”

Marshall explained that it’s better for business to keep people out of jail.
“It’s not my intent to put people in jail. It’s to my benefit to keep them out of jail,” he explained. “We don’t work that way in our company.”

Hingson is currently running a bail bond business in Lynnwood with his wife as the principle.

“He is not eligible to be a bail bond agent,” Brad Benfield, Agency Spokesman for the State Department of Licensing said.

He wasn’t completing his paperwork properly and had his license suspended. However, his Bail Bond Recovery license is still intact, Benfield said. He did have a complaint filed that he was acting as a bail bond agent but no evidence was found.

“Prior to Friday, he has had no other complaints,” Benfield said.

Hingson never contacted Lake Stevens Police to let them know that he would be trying to apprehend Jensen.

“With a little coordination, Ms. Jensen could have been taken into custody without incident,” Celori said.

Celori explained that police officers are trained to only use deadly force if there are no other options and someone’s life is in danger.

“In all of my years in law enforcement, it’s probably the most reckless use of force I’ve ever seen,” he said. “We would never use a firearm to stop a fleeing person with misdemeanor warrants. When you utilize deadly force it’s the last resort.”

Bail bond recovery agents can carry firearms but are required to identify themselves when apprehending a suspect.

Hingson was unavailable for comment at press time.

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