Thread: 4 police shot dead in coffee shop

PARKLAND, Wash. - A person of interest has been identified in the killings of four Lakewood police officers.

Pierce county sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said they are looking for Maurice Clemmons, 37.

Troyer said Clemmons has an extensive violent criminal history from Arkansas, including aggravated robbery and theft. He has also recently been arrested and charged in Pierce County for assault on a police officer and for rape of a child.

Troyer said Clemmons is one of several people investigators would like to talk to and can't be called a suspect at this point.

Lakewood Police Chief Bret Farrar identified the officers who were killed as Sergeant Mark Renninger, and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, and Greg Richards.

Renninger, 39, has 13 years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Owen, 37, has 12 years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by his former wife and a daughter.

Griswold, 40, has 14 years of law enforcement experience. She is survived by her husband and two children.

Richards, 42, has eight years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Suspect may be wounded

Earlier, Troyer said the suspect who killed four Lakewood police officers at a Parkland coffee shop may have been wounded by one of the officers.

Troyer told reporters at the scene that one of the officers struggled out the door and fired his gun at the attacker.

"There is evidence that a Lakewood Police officer fired off some shots, and we hope that he hit him," said Troyer. "If he's hit, that means that he's injured somewhere with a gunshot wound."

Troyer said local hospitals have been contacted in case the suspect seeks medical attention.

"He's going to have to get that taken care of sometime, someplace," said Troyer.

Troyer said the person may travel a distance and go to a hospital or medical center and claim that he accidentally shot himself.

"What we need is if somebody knows somebody who has a gunshot wound or has a fresh injury and is described as a black male between 25 and 35, rough face and hair, wearing a black coat, jeans, and has an injury, we want to know who that is," said Troyer.

The officers - three male and one female - were in full uniform and wearing bulletproof vests, sitting in Forza coffee shop near 116th Street and Steele Street on the east side of the Air Force base at about 8:30 a.m., preparing for their shift when the suspect walked in, went up to the counter as if to order coffee, then turned and opened fire.

Troyer called it an "ambush."

"They had marked police cars, marked uniforms, there were other people inside the facility, they weren't shot, wounded or hurt or even aimed at, just the police officers were," said Troyer.

It wasn't clear whether the officers even had time to draw their weapons to return fire, Troyer said.

"This was more of an execution. Walk in with the specific mindset to shoot police officers," Troyer said.

With no known suspects, there was no indication of any connection with the Halloween night shooting of a Seattle police officer. The suspect in that shooting remains hospitalized.

"We won't know if it's a copycat effect or what it was until we get the case solved," Troyer said. "We don't even have a suspect ID right now."

Troyer would not release the names of the victims in Sunday's shooting.

Lakewood Mayor Douglas Richardson said the names of the victims would be released as soon as extended family members were notified.

In a statement, Richardson said the officers, part of the city's 100-member police force, had been with the department since it was organized five years ago. He called the crime "our most tragic event in Lakewood's 14 years as a city."

"We have no motive at all," Troyer said. "I don't think when we find out what it is, it will be anything that makes any sense or be worth it."

Two employees and a few other customers were in the shop during the attack. All are being interviewed by the Pierce County Sheriff's investigators.

"Some are in shock. They are very upset," Troyer said. "They are the ones who are going to put together for us how this happened."

The Forza Coffee Shop, part of a popular local chain, is in a small retail center alongside two restaurants, a cigar store and a nail salon.

Brad Carpenter, founder and owner of Forza Coffee, said his staff was OK and being interviewed by police, and that his main concern was with the families of the police officers.

"I'm a retired police officer, so this really hits close to home for me," he said.

Forza Coffee issued a press release, saying their "prayers go out to the family and friends of these officers in the face of this horrific tragedy."

"The cold-blooded ambush that took place at the Steele Street Forza Coffee House in Parkland," the release said.

Forza said a donation area will be established at each coffee house.

"It is Forza's goal to help the families of those who lost their lives during this difficult holiday season, and into the new year as they struggle to reconstruct their lives in the year ahead," said Rich Jennings, Forza owner.

Dave Gabrielson, a clerk at Foot Mart about a block away from the coffee shop, told the News Tribune that all was quiet when he opened the store at 8 a.m.

About 30 minutes later, "All of a sudden a million cops were zooming up and down the road," he said.

Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said "this is an example of the danger that police officers and deputy sheriffs and state troopers face every day."

"The person or people who did this not only harmed us they harmed the good that we can do in the community. They harmed the good that we work to do every day in the community," he said.

"This is an example of the cost that is sometimes paid by people who believe in duty and obligation and sacrifice and people who do that on behalf of the community."

"We've lost people that we care about, we've lost people I'm sure the good people in the community care about as well," said Pastor.

Troyer said there were several active scenes that officers were working. A white pick-up truck was impounded from a parking lot at one scene and a person was taken into custody at another.

He said they are looking to see if there is any surveillance cameras that may have caught the suspect on video.

Troyer said the suspect is a black male, 5-foot-7 to 6 feet tall, 20s to 30s, scruffy appearance, wearing a black coat with a gray sweatshirt underneath, and blue jeans.

A $100,000 reward is being offered for information. Tiplines - for tips only - are (253) 591-5959 or 866-977-2362.

Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said she was "shocked and horrified" by the killings.

"Our police put their lives on the line every day, and tragedies like this remind us of the risks they continually take to keep our communities safe," she said in a written statement. "My heart goes out to the family, friends and co-workers of these officers, as well as the entire law enforcement community."

The President of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild, Brian D. Wurts, issued a statement, calling the murders a "cold blooded assassination."

"As I write this I am numb. We were dealt a nasty blow, good men and women I have had the honor of knowing for years are senselessly gone. There is no way to comprehend it, to validate it, or to make sense of any of it. You cannot understand evil like this, as a community we must form a solid bond against criminals and hold them accountable. I know my members and can say with certainty that as a group we will remain professional and will continue to work to protect those of you we have taken an oath to protect. If you know a cop tell them how much you appreciate them, it truly keeps us going. Please pray for these officers and their families. All of them had significant others and children who are left behind," he said.

Wurts said a benevolent account has been established for the families of the officers.

Send donations to LPIG Benevolent Fund at PO Box 99579 Lakewood, WA 98499.

"I will personally make sure it goes where it is intended. May God bless you four who are in a place so much better than this; you are some of the finest professionals I have ever known. God bless our community today," Wurtz said.

Prayer vigil

A prayer vigil for the officers and their families will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at Tacoma Champions Centre at 1819 E. 72nd St. in Tacoma. Directions to the Tacoma Campus.


http://www.king5.com/news/local/Police- ... 89882.html

PARKLAND, Wash. — A man with an extensive criminal past — whose 95-year prison sentence was commuted in Arkansas nearly a decade ago — was being sought Sunday as a "person of interest" in a deadly ambush on four police officers who were gunned down inside a coffee shop.

Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer told reporters that Maurice Clemmons, 37, was one of several people investigators want to talk to and that he could not be called a suspect at this point.

In a news release, the sheriff's office said Clemmons has an extensive violent criminal history from Arkansas, including aggravated robbery and theft. Clemmons also recently was arrested and charged in Pierce County in Washington state for third-degree assault on a police officer, and second-degree rape of a child.

In 1989, Clemmons, then 17, was convicted in Little Rock for aggravated robbery. He was paroled in 2000 after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted Clemmons' 95-year prison sentence. Huckabee, who was criticized during his run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 for the number of clemencies and commutations he granted, cited Clemmons' age at the time of the sentence.

After his release from prison, Clemmons violated his parole and was returned to prison in July 2001. He was released March 18, 2004, according to the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette newspaper.

Originally Posted by ALIPAC

This sounds like a tactic of the drug and illegal alien importing cartels. When I saw the headline for this article I thought I would be reading about another police execution in Mexico or points south.

Perhaps this assassination is imported?

W

Me too. When I first read the headline I assumed it was Mexican police that were shot, since that happens all the time. I was shocked to find out this was in Washington state. Right in broad daylight. And from the article it does appear that the cops were the target. They did not even try to shoot at anyone else. So it sounds to me like it was not just some lunatic shooting at people. And they said there may have been more than one shooter. So....not a lunatic. It was a deliberate hit.

Originally Posted by jamesw62

He was paroled in 2000 after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted Clemmons' 95-year prison sentence. Huckabee, who was criticized during his run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 for the number of clemencies and commutations he granted, cited Clemmons' age at the time of the sentence.

Anyone else suspicious about the fact that Clemmons just happened to be paroled by Mike Huckabee? Could this be Huckabee's Willie Horton to discourage him from running in 2012?

In a way it does not surprise me. People who have warrants out or have had run ins with the law are a risk for officers everyday. The media does not report all the charges of resisting arrest with violence they encounter unless the suspect flees or the officer is badly beaten.

Huckabee on OReilly Monday night, about 25 after the hour
interesting interview because he said the reason this person was back out on the streets was that the prosecution DID NOT file the proper paperwork on time and there fore his case was dismissed