MARTHA BELLISLE

Global investigative reporter

Bellisle is a global investigative reporter for The Associated Press, based in Washington state. She reports on a range of topics, including police accountability, police training and mental health. She also has covered the Winter Olympics.

US Olympic and Paralympic officials put coach on leave after AP reports sexual abuse allegations

The U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee has placed an employee on administrative leave after The Associated Press reported that one of its coaches was accused of sexually abusing a young biathlete, causing her so much distress that she attempted suicide.

US Biathlon officials ignored sexual harassment and abuse of female racers for decades, athletes say

Sexual abuse and harassment by coaches and others who held positions of power over women on the U.S. Biathlon team were ignored or excused over decades by officials more concerned with winning medals than holding offenders accountable.

US biathletes fear retaliation for speaking out about sexual harassment, report finds

U.S. biathletes face “misogynistic” behavior while racing and fear retaliation if they report their concerns.

‘Bomb cyclone’ kills 2 and knocks out power to over half a million homes across the US Northwest

A major storm was sweeping across the U.S. Northwest, battering the region with strong winds and rain. It caused widespread power outages and downed trees that killed at least two people.

Seattle man faces 5 assault charges in random sidewalk stabbings

A Seattle man has been charged with five counts of assault in the random stabbings of five people in broad daylight last week.

Man accused of stabbing at least 5 people in Seattle ordered held on $2M bail

A 37-year-old man who police say stabbed five people in Seattle on Friday and possibly four others the day before made his first court appearance where a judge ordered him held on $2 million bail.

Navy identifies 2 killed in fighter jet crash as aviators from California

The Navy has identified the two crew members killed when their jet fighter crashed near Mount Rainier last week as two 31-year-old aviators from California. Lt. Commander Lyndsay Evans, a Naval Flight Officer, and Lt.

2 Navy aviators are declared dead after a fighter jet crashed in Washington state

Two crew members who were missing following the crash of a fighter jet in mountainous terrain in Washington state during a routine training flight have been declared dead.

Callers responding to a false election claim overwhelm Oregon officials

Oregon election officials are screening phone and email messages after receiving a barrage of out-of-town calls from people responding to a false claim that the state’s voter pamphlet doesn’t include Republican nominee Donald Trump.

Navy finds wreckage of fighter jet that crashed during training in Washington state

The U.S. Navy has found the wreckage of a fighter jet that crashed in Washington state during routine training. They continue to search for two aviators who were onboard the EA-18G Growler.

How will Hurricane Milton stack up against other major recent storms?

Ferocious Hurricane Milton is charging its way across the Gulf Coast with Tampa and St. Petersburg, Florida, in its sights. It approaches less than two weeks after Hurricane Helene battered the state, debris from which still lines some streets.

Recent major hurricanes have left hundreds dead and caused billions in damages

Man charged in random Seattle freeway shootings faces new charges nearby

A man charged with randomly shooting at cars along Interstate 5 near Seattle on Labor Day faces additional charges for firing at vehicles in an adjacent county on the same night.

Man charged with assault in random shootings on Seattle freeway

A 44-year-old man accused of randomly shooting at vehicles on Interstate 5 near Seattle has been charged with five counts of assault. Six people were injured in the shootings Monday evening, including one who is critically hurt.

At least 7 cars hit and 6 people injured in random gunfire on Interstate 5 near Seattle

Officials say at least seven vehicles traveling along Interstate 5 just south of Seattle were hit by gunfire overnight, leaving at least six people injured. A suspect was taken into custody early Tuesday.

Suspect charged with murder and animal cruelty in fatal carjacking of 80-year-old dog walker

King County prosecutors have filed charges against a man they say forced his way into a vehicle occupied by a beloved 80-year-old Seattle dog walker, pushed her out and ran over her before going to a park and stabbing her dog to death.

Arrest made in Seattle carjacking that killed a beloved 80-year-old dog walker

Seattle police have arrested a suspect who they say carjacked a beloved 80-year-old dog walker. Ruth Dalton died after she was struck by the vehicle as the suspect fled.

Providence patients’ lawsuit claims negligence over potential exposure to hepatitis B and C, HIV

Four people who were potentially exposed to hepatitis B and C and HIV during surgeries have filed a class action lawsuit against Providence and an anesthesiology group claiming their negligence has caused pain and anxiety.

Monsanto agrees to $160 million settlement with Seattle over pollution in the Duwamish River

Ending an eight-year legal battle, chemical giant Monsanto has agreed to a $160-million settlement with Seattle for its part in polluting the Lower Duwamish River with toxins that posed a threat to humans, fish and wildlife.

Lawyer for man charged with killing 4 University of Idaho students wants trial moved to Boise

Lawyers for the man accused of fatally stabbing four University of Idaho students in 2022 are urging a judge to move his murder trial out of the county.

Tech outage halts surgeries, medical treatments across the US

A global technology outage has curtailed treatment at hospitals across the country. Medical centers reported Friday morning that they were postponing procedures, suspending hospital visits and delaying treatments.

Three days after attempted assassination, Trump shooter remains an elusive enigma

Three days after the attempted assassination of Donald Trump, the 20-year-old man who came close to killing the former president remains an enigma.

JBLM servicemen say the Army didn’t protect them from a doctor charged with abusive sexual contact

Fifteen current or retired Joint Base Lewis-McChord servicemen who say the Army failed to protect them from a military doctor who has been charged with sexual abuse are each seeking $5 million in damages for the emotional distress they say they have suffered.

First officer is convicted of murder since Washington state law eased prosecution of police

A jury has found a suburban Seattle police officer guilty of murder in the 2019 shooting death of a homeless man outside a convenience store.

Washington high court to decide if Seattle officers who attended Jan. 6 rally can remain anonymous

The Washington Supreme Court is considering a case that will determine whether the names of four Seattle police officers who attended events in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 6, 2021, are protected under the state’s public records law.

Jury to begin deliberating in murder trial of suburban Seattle officer who killed a man in 2019

A Washington state prosecutor has told jurors that a suburban Seattle officer who fatally shot a homeless man in 2019 ignored his training and should be convicted of murder.

Nurses in Oregon take to the picket lines to demand better staffing, higher pay

More than 3,000 nurses at six Oregon hospitals have spent a second day on the picket lines as they continued to demand fair wages and better nurse-to-patient ratios.

Off-duty guard charged with killing Seattle-area teen after mistaking toy for gun, authorities say

An off-duty security guard has been charged with second-degree murder by prosecutors who say that he fatally shot a 17-year-old six times in the back as the teen tried to return what the guard believed to be a firearm, but was actually a toy gun, to a sporting goods store near Seattle.

Washington judge denies GOP attempt to keep financial impact of initiatives off November ballots

A judge has ruled that information about how much money three GOP-backed initiatives would cost the state of Washington must appear on the November ballot.

Takeaways from AP investigation into police training on the risks of handcuffing someone facedown

Police across the United States have been warned for decades that the common tactic of handcuffing someone facedown could turn deadly.