2009 Lakewood shooting: Difference between revisions
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The '''Lakewood police officer shooting''' took place on Sunday, November 29, 2009, when four [[Lakewood, Washington]] [[police officer]]s were murdered at a coffee shop in the [[Parkland, Washington|Parkland]] [[unincorporated area]] of [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce County]], [[Washington]], [[United States]]. One gunman, later identified as [[Maurice Clemmons]], entered the coffee shop, fired at the officers as they sat working on their [[laptop|laptop computers]], and then fled the scene.<ref name='sf1129'>{{cite news | first=Gene | last=Johnson |authorlink= | title=Official: 4 police officers shot dead in Wash. | date=2009-11-29 | url =http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/29/national/a093603S48.DTL | work =[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | accessdate = 2009-11-29 }}</ref><ref name='seattletimes11291'>{{cite news | author= Miletich, Steve| coauthors=Sara Jean Green |authorlink= | title=Four police officers shot to death in Lakewood in apparent ambush | date=2009-11-29 | publisher= | url =http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010382767_webfourdead29m.html | work =[[The Seattle Times]] | pages = | accessdate = 2009-11-29 | language = }}</ref> After a 2-day manhunt that spanned several cities in the [[Puget Sound region]], the |
The '''Lakewood police officer shooting''' took place on Sunday, November 29, 2009, when four [[Lakewood, Washington]] [[police officer]]s were murdered at a coffee shop in the [[Parkland, Washington|Parkland]] [[unincorporated area]] of [[Pierce County, Washington|Pierce County]], [[Washington]], [[United States]]. One gunman, later identified as [[Maurice Clemmons]], entered the coffee shop, fired at the officers as they sat working on their [[laptop|laptop computers]], and then fled the scene.<ref name='sf1129'>{{cite news | first=Gene | last=Johnson |authorlink= | title=Official: 4 police officers shot dead in Wash. | date=2009-11-29 | url =http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/n/a/2009/11/29/national/a093603S48.DTL | work =[[San Francisco Chronicle]] | accessdate = 2009-11-29 }}</ref><ref name='seattletimes11291'>{{cite news | author= Miletich, Steve| coauthors=Sara Jean Green |authorlink= | title=Four police officers shot to death in Lakewood in apparent ambush | date=2009-11-29 | publisher= | url =http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010382767_webfourdead29m.html | work =[[The Seattle Times]] | pages = | accessdate = 2009-11-29 | language = }}</ref> After a 2-day manhunt that spanned several cities in the [[Puget Sound region]], the gunman was shot and killed by a [[Seattle Police Department]] officer in [[South End, Seattle, Washington|south Seattle]].<ref name="SeaTimes01Dec">{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010393433_webarrest01m.html|title=Lakewood police shooting suspect killed by Seattle police officer in South Seattle early this morning|last=Sullivan|first=Jennifer|coauthors=Mark Rahner, Jack Broom|date=1 December 2009|work=''[[The Seattle Times]]''|accessdate=1 December 2009}}</ref> |
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The shooting is believed to have been a targeted attack against police officers, and came less than a month after a Seattle police officer was [[Murder of Timothy Brenton|murdered]] and another injured under similar circumstances nearly {{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=off}} to the north. Another shooting involving Pierce County sheriff's deputies occurred three weeks after in [[Eatonville, WA|Eatonville]], on December 21, when two deputies were shot and critically injured (one later died from his injuries) by a man, who was then shot dead.<ref name="SeaTimes21DecCrable">{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010565462_crablehistory22m.html|title=Family had sought protection from man suspected of shooting deputies|last=Perry|first=Nick|coauthors=|date=21 December 2009|work=''[[The Seattle Times]]''|accessdate=21 December 2009}}</ref> It is believed to be the most deadly attack on law enforcement in the state of Washington, and the deadliest attack on law enforcement in the United States since the [[2009 shooting of Oakland police officers|March 21, 2009 shootings]] that left four [[Oakland]], [[California]] police officers dead.<ref name='seattletimes11292'>{{cite news | author= | coauthors= |authorlink= | title= 4 Lakewood officers slain; hunt is on for gunman | date=2009-11-29 | publisher= ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' | url =http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010382767_webfourdead29m.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2009-11-29 | language = }}</ref> The four were the first Lakewood police officers to be killed in the line of duty since the department's establishment in 2004. |
The shooting is believed to have been a targeted attack against police officers, and came less than a month after a Seattle police officer was [[Murder of Timothy Brenton|murdered]] and another injured under similar circumstances nearly {{convert|40|mi|km|abbr=off}} to the north. Another shooting involving Pierce County sheriff's deputies occurred three weeks after in [[Eatonville, WA|Eatonville]], on December 21, when two deputies were shot and critically injured (one later died from his injuries) by a man, who was then shot dead.<ref name="SeaTimes21DecCrable">{{cite news|url=http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010565462_crablehistory22m.html|title=Family had sought protection from man suspected of shooting deputies|last=Perry|first=Nick|coauthors=|date=21 December 2009|work=''[[The Seattle Times]]''|accessdate=21 December 2009}}</ref> It is believed to be the most deadly attack on law enforcement in the state of Washington, and the deadliest attack on law enforcement in the United States since the [[2009 shooting of Oakland police officers|March 21, 2009 shootings]] that left four [[Oakland]], [[California]] police officers dead.<ref name='seattletimes11292'>{{cite news | author= | coauthors= |authorlink= | title= 4 Lakewood officers slain; hunt is on for gunman | date=2009-11-29 | publisher= ''[[The Seattle Times]]'' | url =http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010382767_webfourdead29m.html | work = | pages = | accessdate = 2009-11-29 | language = }}</ref> The four were the first Lakewood police officers to be killed in the line of duty since the department's establishment in 2004. |
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Revision as of 06:38, 5 April 2010
| Lakewood police officer shooting | |
|---|---|
 Location of Parkland in Pierce County within the state of Washington. | |
| Location | Parkland, Washington, United States |
| Date | Sunday, November 29, 2009 8:15 a.m. (UTC-8) |
Attack type | Ambush shooting |
| Weapons | Semi-automatic handgun |
| Deaths | 5 (4 police officers, 1 suspect) |
The Lakewood police officer shooting took place on Sunday, November 29, 2009, when four Lakewood, Washington police officers were murdered at a coffee shop in the Parkland unincorporated area of Pierce County, Washington, United States. One gunman, later identified as Maurice Clemmons, entered the coffee shop, fired at the officers as they sat working on their laptop computers, and then fled the scene.[1][2] After a 2-day manhunt that spanned several cities in the Puget Sound region, the gunman was shot and killed by a Seattle Police Department officer in south Seattle.[3]
The shooting is believed to have been a targeted attack against police officers, and came less than a month after a Seattle police officer was murdered and another injured under similar circumstances nearly 40 miles (64 kilometres) to the north. Another shooting involving Pierce County sheriff's deputies occurred three weeks after in Eatonville, on December 21, when two deputies were shot and critically injured (one later died from his injuries) by a man, who was then shot dead.[4] It is believed to be the most deadly attack on law enforcement in the state of Washington, and the deadliest attack on law enforcement in the United States since the March 21, 2009 shootings that left four Oakland, California police officers dead.[5] The four were the first Lakewood police officers to be killed in the line of duty since the department's establishment in 2004.
Victims
All four officers had been with the Lakewood Police Department since its establishment. They were:[6][7]
- Sergeant Mark Renninger, 39, 13 years of law enforcement experience, died from a gunshot wound to the head.[8]
- Officer Ronald Owens, 37, 12 years of law enforcement experience, of Puyallup, died from a gunshot wound to the neck.[8]
- Officer Tina Griswold, 40, 14 years of law enforcement experience, died from a gunshot wound to the head.[8]
- Officer Greg Richards, 42, 8 years of law enforcement experience, of Graham, died from a gunshot wound to the head.[8]
Suspect
The gunman was identified as 37-year-old Maurice Clemmons, originally from Marianna, Arkansas. Clemmons had a violent criminal history, with at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and eight felony charges in Washington. In 2000, Clemmons had his 95-year sentence for aggravated robbery commuted by then-Governor Mike Huckabee and moved to Western Washington in 2004.[9][10] In spring 2009, Clemmons was charged with rape of a child and third-degree assault on a police officer for punching a Pierce County sheriff's deputy in the face during a confrontation,[11][12] and was let out of jail on those charges after posting a $150,000 bail bond one week prior to the shootings.[11]
Incident
Shooting
On the morning of Sunday, November 29, 2009, the four officers were working on their laptop computers prior to the start of their shift inside a Forza Coffee Company coffee shop in nearby Parkland, adjacent to McChord Air Force Base. All four were in full uniform, armed, and wearing bulletproof vests.[1][2][13] At approximately 8:15 a.m. (UTC-8), Maurice Clemmons entered the coffee shop, approached the counter, turned around, and opened fire on the four seated officers with a semi-automatic handgun. Sgt. Mark Renniger and Officer Tina Griswold were killed as they sat in their chairs and Officer Ronald Owens was killed as he stood up and attempted to draw his weapon. Then, Officer Greg Richards managed to get into a struggle with Clemmons and fire his own weapon, wounding Clemmons, before being shot and killed himself.[1][14][15] Clemmons was then seen getting into a vehicle which fled the scene. Neither the two coffee shop employees nor the other customers in the store were hurt, and no money was taken from the cash register. Investigators say the murder was a targeted attack against police officers in general; none of the four officers was individually targeted and robbery was ruled out as a motive.[16]
Manhunt
The afternoon following the shooting, the Pierce County sheriff identified Clemmons, who had long criminal history in Arkansas and Washington, as the suspected murderer. Police confirmed that Clemmons had been shot in the abdomen during the attack.
In the late evening hours of November 29, Seattle police believed they had Clemmons surrounded in a home in the Leschi area of Seattle. Along with Air Support provided by King County Sheriff's Office, SWAT teams from the King County Sheriff's Office, Seattle Police Department, Tacoma Police Department, and other agencies entered the home after a twelve-hour standoff but found no one inside. Earlier in the day, Tacoma Police served a search warrant on a Tacoma home belonging to a "person of interest" and collected evidence.[17][18] An intense manhunt ensued, and police from agencies in Pierce and King Counties conducted searches at the University of Washington campus, Rizal Park, and in Renton, none of which turned up the suspect. King County Sheriff's Deputies and Washington State Patrol, acting on a tip, were also conducting surveillance and going door to door at Snoqualmie Pass area homes, 50 mile east of Seattle. A tip stated that Clemmons was going to be dropped off at Snoqualmie Pass to be handed off to another person to escape the region. After hours of investigating, the search was called off. The tip had been one of thousands of tips that came into local law enforcement agencies. Suspects in his escape later admitted that false tips were called in to sidetrack law enforcement officials.[citation needed]
Twitter was used with the tag #washooting to help the public track what was happening during the search, and the Seattle Times started a wave on Google Wave. Within two hours, there were over 350 people on the Wave.[citation needed]
Death of Clemmons
Around 2:45 a.m. on December 1, a Seattle police officer on patrol in south Seattle came upon a 1990 Acura Integra parked on the street at 44th Place S and S Kenyon St unoccupied and idling with its hood raised and the engine running.[19] He ran the vehicle's license plate number and determined that it had been stolen.[19] While sitting in his patrol car filling out paperwork in conjunction with the stolen vehicle, the officer noticed a person matching Clemmons' description approaching him from behind.[19] Police accounts state that the officer ordered the suspect to stop and show his hands, but the suspect instead began to flee around the disabled vehicle and reportedly "reached into his waist area and moved" as the officer was drawing his gun.[3][20] The officer fired several rounds at the suspect, striking him at least twice.[21] Seattle Fire Department medics responded and pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.[21] Seattle police later identified the deceased suspect as Clemmons. Clemmons was allegedly carrying a handgun that had belonged to Officer Greg Richards,[3] and had a prior gunshot wound that had been stuffed with cotton and gauze and sealed with duct tape that authorities said was sustained in the Parkland shooting.[21]
At the time of Clemmons' death, authorities were offering a $145,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.[1][12]
Aftermath
Accomplices
As of December 2, six individuals have been arrested and face charges of providing assistance to Clemmons before and after the shooting.[21] One of those six – who was already wanted in connection with a bank robbery in Arkansas – served time with Clemmons in an Arkansas prison and is believed to have helped Clemmons escape the scene of the shooting.[22] The other five are accused of providing assistance to Clemmons such as transporting him to several locations, providing him with money and cell phones, making arrangements for him to flee the state, and treating his gunshot wound sustained in the Parkland shooting, all with full knowledge of the crime he had committed.[21][22]
Political
Mike Huckabee has received nationwide criticism for his role in Clemmons' release from prison in 2000.[23][24] The evening of the shooting, Huckabee released a statement seeking to cast some of the responsibility for Clemmons' release onto the parole board that freed him and the criminal justice system that Huckabee said repeatedly failed to properly handle him.[25][26] In his statement, Huckabee said, "Should he be found to be responsible for this horrible tragedy, it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State."[25] Huckabee, who is considered a favorite for the Republican Party presidential nomination in 2012,[27] has claimed that the situation is being used as a political weapon against him.[23] Clemmons has been compared to Willie Horton,[27][28] a convicted felon who was furloughed from a Massachusetts prison in 1986 but never returned and committed more violent crimes several months later. The Horton case eventually factored in to the 1988 presidential campaign of Democratic Party candidate Michael Dukakis, who was Governor of Massachusetts at the time and supported the furlough program. Timothy Egan, opinion writer for The New York Times, said of Huckabee's role in Clemmons' release, "If this case does not sink the presidential aspirations of Huckabee…it should."[24]
The incident has also led some university professors, criminologists, and attorneys to speculate that U.S. governors will become more reluctant to grant pardons and clemencies to convicted felons, in order to avoid the negative publicity faced by Dukakis and Huckabee in the Horton and Clemmons cases, respectively.[28]
Officers' memorial service
A public memorial service for the four slain officers was held December 8, 2009 at the Tacoma Dome.[29] The day began with a 10-mile (16 km) procession from McChord Air Force Base past the Lakewood police station to the Tacoma Dome. Over 2,000 police and fire vehicles from over 150 different law enforcement and fire agencies participated in the procession, which took five hours to complete.[30] Over 20,000 people, mostly from the law enforcement and firefighting communities, attended the service at the Tacoma Dome.[31] Police officers from as far away as New York City and Boston, as well as a large contingent of Royal Canadian Mounted Police officers, were in attendance.[31] Lakewood's mayor and police chief gave remarks at the service, followed by eulogies by family, friends, and colleagues of the four officers. Washington Governor Christine Gregoire also spoke, saying, "We will remember them today. We will remember them always." The service concluded with a played recording of a police dispatcher attempting to call each officer with no response, and the dispatcher declaring each officer as "gone but not forgotten." The officers' remains were buried in private ceremonies by their individual families.
From a logistical standpoint, the agencies preparing for the memorial services expected 20,000 law enforcement personnel to appear at the service. 1,000 emergency vehicles and police cruisers were set up to follow the families of the victims to the Tacoma Dome. 50 people from several public agencies worked to make the event occur smoothly. Jody Woodcock, a program manager of the Pierce County Department of Emergency Management, said that the agencies planned to make the event look like it was easily prepared and that the authorities intend to "take care of all the details so the families and the law enforcement community don't have to think about them." Rob Carson of The Seattle Times said, "Logistically, the event is staggering in its complexity." Alaska Airlines gave airline tickets to family members who were going to the event and were flying into Seattle-Tacoma International Airport from other states. The American Red Cross donated food and water for the event.[32]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d Johnson, Gene (2009-11-29). "Official: 4 police officers shot dead in Wash". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
- ^ a b Miletich, Steve (2009-11-29). "Four police officers shot to death in Lakewood in apparent ambush". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Sullivan, Jennifer (1 December 2009). "Lakewood police shooting suspect killed by Seattle police officer in South Seattle early this morning". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 1 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help); Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Perry, Nick (21 December 2009). "Family had sought protection from man suspected of shooting deputies". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 21 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|work=(help) - ^ "4 Lakewood officers slain; hunt is on for gunman". The Seattle Times. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Slain Lakewood police officers are identified". The Seattle Times. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Slain Lakewood officers leave holes in community fabric". The Seattle Times. 2009-11-30. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ a b c d Peter Callaghan. "Prosecutor gives first details of crime scene". The News Tribune. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Schone, Mark. "Huckabee Helped Set Rapist Free Who Later Killed Missouri Woman". ABC News. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ Buck, Michael (2009-11-30). "Slain cop a Valley native". The Express-Times. Easton, Pennsylvania. p. A1.
- ^ a b "Suspect let out of Pierce County jail one week ago". The Seattle Times. Seattle, Washington. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ a b "Police conducting several "tactical operations" now in search for shooting suspect". The Seattle Times. Seattle, Washington. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ "4 police officers killed in Wash. coffee shop". MSNBC. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ "Dispatches on the Lakewood police shooting and manhunt". The Seattle Times. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Mulick, Stacey (2009-12-01). "Lakewood officer who shot suspect Clemmons identified". The News Tribune (Tacoma). Retrieved 2009-12-01.
- ^ "Shooting of four Lakewood officers 'an execution': Washington police". Vancouver Sun. 2009-11-29. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ "Police surround Seattle home where person of interest in police shooting may be hiding". The Seattle Times. 2009-11-29.
{{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in:|publisher=(help) - ^ Oppmann, Patrick (2009-11-29). "Man sought in deadly ambush had prison sentence commuted". CNN. Retrieved 2009-11-29.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b c Miletich, Steve (2 December 2009). "Routine stolen-car check led to Lakewood police-slaying suspect". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Johnson, Gene (2009-12-01). "Sheriff's spokesman: Police fatally shoot suspect". Yahoo! News. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|coauthors=(help) - ^ a b c d e "Team Of Accused Accomplices Rises To 6". Seattle: KIRO-TV. 2 December 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ a b Milletich, Steve (2 December 2009). "Alleged getaway driver in officers' slaying could face murder charges". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b Brunner, Jim; Kelleher, Susan (2009-11-30). "Persuasive appeal helped Clemmons win clemency". The Seattle Times. Seattle, Washington. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
- ^ a b Egan, Timothy (2009-11-30). "Mike Huckabee's Burden". The New York Times. Retrieved 2009-12-01.
- ^ a b Franke-Ruta, Garance (2009-11-30). "Huckabee commuted sentence of suspect in Washington police slayings". The Washington Post. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ Montopoli, Brian (2009-11-30). "Mike Huckabee Granted Clemency to Maurice Clemmons". CBS News. Retrieved 2009-11-30.
- ^ a b DeMillo, Andrew (1 December 2009). "Political death blow for Huckabee?". The Seattle Times. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ a b Chen, Stephanie. "Seattle shootings may reduce pardons and commutations". CNN.com. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
- ^ "Memorial for slain officers to be next Tuesday at Tacoma Dome". The Seattle Times. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 2 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ "Big police procession in Tacoma for slain officers". The Seattle Times. 8 December 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ a b "Officers' service steeped in tradition, brotherhood". The Seattle Times. 9 December 2009. Retrieved 16 December 2009.
{{cite news}}: Unknown parameter|coauthors=ignored (|author=suggested) (help) - ^ Carson, Rob. "Over 20,000 expected at tribute to slain officers." The Seattle Times. Sunday December 6, 2009. Retrieved on December 14, 2009.