4 police officers killed in Wash. state Shootings happened at coffee shop south

[Fanny Mae]

Some may wonder why I have taken such an interest in the shooting of the four Lakewood  police officers. This has hit me at a very personal level because for many years I was a LE dispatcher and married to an officer for most of those years. Of course, over the years since then, officers have been shot and killed on duty answering a citizen complaint and going about their police business. Even one I remember was walking into a donut shop.

I guess what really hung me on this shooting is I can’t really say how many times I have sat in a coffee shop with a group of officers and realized how relaxed they would have been in a familiar setting. My guess is they have been in that spot hundreds of times in the past five years. They probably even had a regular table. The employees would have known them by name, and felt safe anytime they or their buddies on the force would be in there. It was a Sunday morning, notoriously quiet on the radio and usually on the streets. I understand they were not on duty, but you can be sure they were closely listening to any traffic on their portable radios.

In the years I was on the department where I worked, which was much larger, we had officers killed on duty, either shot or by traffic accident, or by heart attack. Each time it was wrenching. Each death hit the department, and even in the surrounding area departments hard. It also hit most of the citizens hard.

I watched the news conference today, where the whole Lakewood Police Department stood behind their chief as he explained how it hurt, but they were there, and would continue. I saw the stricken looks on the faces of the officers and even the chief, the black bands of mourning across their badges. It was just like yesterday I could remember seeing those same faces on people I held dear, and realized there was nothing anyone could do to make it better. Even catching the perpetrator would not ease it, and will probably make it worse as the weeks and months go by and the judicial system takes hold.

I don’t even know if this is the proper place to post this. If it isn’t, a mod or KLAAS will surely move it. I just felt a need to put my words down in writing. We are aware of our military and I pray for them daily. I also pray for our law enforcement personnel. They are the only things that sometimes stand between us and utter chaos. I hope anyone reading this will pray for them too. 

[Fanny Mae]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010388783_weblakewoodupdate30m.html

Latest on Lakewood shooting: Police looking for green 1997 Mazda Millenia

1:34 p.m.
Latanya Clemmons, 34, is Maurice Clemmons' sister.

She said her brother bought the house she lives in in Tacoma, but he lives elsewhere. She said she was in Leschi last night, and when she got home she could tell police had been there.

There was smoke-bomb residue on the carpet, and a search warrant on the coffee table. Police had taken her poodle, which she retrieved from the Humane Society today.

She said police had taken cameras, her computer and paperwork  -- mostly papers for research she was doing regarding crisis intervention and mental health, stemming from her brother's Nov. 5 court date when he found competent to stand trial after evaluation.

1:27 p.m.
Washington State's Child Protective Services confirmed that the agency had "founded" - or substantiated - a complaint of child sexual abuse in October against Maurice Clemmons, the suspect in the fatal shooting of four Lakewood Police officers.

DSHS spokeswoman Sherry Hill said the agency received a complaint from police about Clemmons on May 26, 2009, two weeks after the Pierce County Sheriff began a child rape investigation involving a 12 year-old female relative. CPS began investigating the next day, Hill said.

The Pierce County Sheriff's investigation led to a child rape charge being filed on July 2. Clemmons was arrested the same day.

After reviewing the police records and doing interviews of its own, CPS finished the investigation and issued it's "founded" conclusion on Oct. 23, 2009. It closed the case the same day, ending CPS oversight of Clemmons, his wife and girl, said Hill. She explained the four-month gap between CPS starting and finishing its investigation by noting that the agency defers to law enforcement when CPS and police are pursuing the same allegations.

A "founded" child abuse conclusion can lead to a child being placed in custody or with relatives, but CPS instead referred the victim and Nicole Smith, who is Clemmon's wife, to counseling. "As far as we can tell, it looks like they were accessing the services we offered," said Hill. "And (Clemmons) was not in the home. He was in jail by then."

The child-rape allegation against Clemmons was the only complaint CPS has received involving him, Smith, or the girl.

1:24 p.m.
About six officers in SWAT gear pulled up to Nicole Smith's Tacoma home and four went inside. They were escorted in by a young man who pulled up in a silver Honda.

Smith is Clemmons' wife. Police are seeking her and are looking for her car.

1:04 p.m.


Police are at Cowen Park in Ravenna after someone spotted what appeared to be fresh blood.

12:33 p.m.
Lt. Dave McDonald of the Puyallup Police Department said detectives believe Clemmons was armed with more than one handgun during Sunday morning's attack. One handgun used in the shootings was recovered at the coffee shop. Police think he dropped it during a fight with one of the officers. He was able to kill that officer, likely with a second handgun.

12:13 p.m.
Police are searching for a green 1997 Mazda Millenia with Washington license plate 208-SSX. The vehicle is registered to Clemmons' wife. Police said she may be headed to Arkansas.

12:04 p.m
Seattle police have closed off an area near South Dearborn Street and Maynard Avenue South near Qwest Field after some bloody gauze was found in the street. It's too early to say if it's connected to this case.............

[MuffyBee]

Some may wonder why I have taken such an interest in the shooting of the four Lakewood  police officers. This has hit me at a very personal level because for many years I was a LE dispatcher and married to an officer for most of those years. Of course, over the years since then, officers have been shot and killed on duty answering a citizen complaint and going about their police business. Even one I remember was walking into a donut shop.

I guess what really hung me on this shooting is I can’t really say how many times I have sat in a coffee shop with a group of officers and realized how relaxed they would have been in a familiar setting. My guess is they have been in that spot hundreds of times in the past five years. They probably even had a regular table. The employees would have known them by name, and felt safe anytime they or their buddies on the force would be in there. It was a Sunday morning, notoriously quiet on the radio and usually on the streets. I understand they were not on duty, but you can be sure they were closely listening to any traffic on their portable radios.

In the years I was on the department where I worked, which was much larger, we had officers killed on duty, either shot or by traffic accident, or by heart attack. Each time it was wrenching. Each death hit the department, and even in the surrounding area departments hard. It also hit most of the citizens hard.

I watched the news conference today, where the whole Lakewood Police Department stood behind their chief as he explained how it hurt, but they were there, and would continue. I saw the stricken looks on the faces of the officers and even the chief, the black bands of mourning across their badges. It was just like yesterday I could remember seeing those same faces on people I held dear, and realized there was nothing anyone could do to make it better. Even catching the perpetrator would not ease it, and will probably make it worse as the weeks and months go by and the judicial system takes hold.

I don’t even know if this is the proper place to post this. If it isn’t, a mod or KLAAS will surely move it. I just felt a need to put my words down in writing. We are aware of our military and I pray for them daily. I also pray for our law enforcement personnel. They are the only things that sometimes stand between us and utter chaos. I hope anyone reading this will pray for them too. 

 

[Fanny Mae]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010385617_webmansought29.html




Maurice Clemmons, man wanted for questioning, has troubling criminal history

The man sought for questioning in the execution of four Lakewood police officers was granted clemency in 2000 by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee and released on bail just six days ago on a child rape charge in Washington state.

By Seattle Times staff

 


Maurice Clemmons, the 37-year-old Tacoma man being sought for questioning in the killing this morning of four Lakewood police officers, has a long criminal record punctuated by violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health.

Nine years ago, then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee granted clemency to Clemmons, commuting his lengthy prison sentence over the protests of prosecutors.

"This is the day I've been dreading for a long time," Larry Jegley, prosecuting attorney for Arkansas' Pulaski County said tonight when informed that Clemmons was being sought for questioning in connection with the killings.

Clemmons' criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington. The record also stands out for the number of times he has been released from custody despite questions about the danger he posed.

Huckabee, who ran for the Republican presidential nomination last year, issued a statement tonight calling the slaying of the police officers "a horrible and tragic event."

If Clemmons is found responsible, "it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State," Huckabee said.

He added that Clemmons' release from prison had been reviewed and approved by the Arkansas parole board.

Clemmons had been in jail in Pierce County for the past several months on a pending charge of second-degree rape of a child. He was released from custody just six days ago, even though was staring at seven additional felony charges in Washington state.

Clemmons posted $15,000 with a Chehalis company called Jail Sucks Bail Bonds. The bondsman, in turn, put up $150,000, securing Clemmons' release on the pending child-rape charge.

Clemmons lives in Tacoma, where he has run a landscaping and power-washing business out of his house, according to a police interview with his wife earlier this year.

He was married, but the relationship was tumultuous, with accounts of his unpredictable behavior leading to at least two confrontations with police earlier this year.

During the confrontation in May, Clemmons punched a sheriff's deputy in the face, according to court records. As part of that incident, he was charged with seven counts of assault and malicious mischief.

In another instance, Clemmons was accused of gathering his wife and young relatives around at 3 or 4 in the morning and having them all undress. He told them that families need to "be naked for at least 5 minutes on Sunday," a Pierce County sheriff's report says.

"The whole time Clemmons kept saying things like trust him, the world is going to end soon, and that he was Jesus," the report says.

As part of the child-rape investigation, the sheriff's office interviewed Clemmons' sister in May. She told them that "Maurice is not in his right mind and did not know how he could react when contacted by Law Enforcement," a sheriff's report says.

"She stated that he was saying that the secret service was coming to get him because he had written a letter to the President. She stated his behavior has become unpredictable and erratic. She suspects he is having a mental breakdown," the report says.

Deputies also interviewed other family members. They reported that Clemmons had been saying he could fly and that he expected President Obama to visit to "confirm that he is Messiah in the flesh."

Prosecutors in Pierce County were sufficiently concerned about Clemmons' mental health that they asked to have him evaluated at Western State Hospital. Earlier this month, on Nov. 6, a psychologist concluded that Clemmons was competent to stand trial on the child-rape and other felony charges, according to court records.

Clemmons moved Washington in 2004, after being released from prison in Arkansas, state Department of Corrections records indicate. That would mean he had gone five years or so before landing in serious trouble with authorities here, according to a review of his criminal record.

Clemmons started Sea-Wash Pressure Washing Landscaping with his wife, Nicole Smith, in October 2005. The license for the business expired last month.

Long history of trouble in Arkansas

News accounts out of Arkansas offer a confusing — and, at times, conflicting — description of Clemmons' criminal history and prison time.

In 1990, Clemmons, then 18, was sentenced in Arkansas to 60 years in prison for burglary and theft of property, according to a news account in Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Newspaper stories describe a series of disturbing incidents involving Clemmons while he was being tried in Arkansas on various charges.

During one trial, Clemmons was shackled in leg irons and seated next to a uniformed officer. The presiding judge ordered the extra security because he felt Clemmons had threatened him, court records show.

Another time, Clemmons hid a hinge in his sock, and was accused of intending to use it as a weapon. Yet another time, Clemmons took a lock from a holding cell, and threw it toward the bailiff. He missed and instead hit Clemmons' mother, who had come to bring him street clothes, according to records and published reports.

On another occasion, Clemmons had reached for a guard's pistol during transport to the courtroom.

When Clemmons received the 60-year sentence, he was already serving 48 years on five felony convictions and facing up to 95 more years on charges of robbery, theft of property and possessing a handgun on school property. Records from Clemmons' sentencing described him as 5-foot-7 and 108 pounds. The crimes were committed when he was 17.

Clemmons served 11 years before being released.

News accounts say Huckabee commuted Clemmons' sentence, citing Clemmons' young age at the time the crimes were committed.

But Clemmons remained on parole — and soon after landed in trouble again. In March 2001, he was accused of violating his parole by committing aggravated robbery and theft, according to a story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

He was returned to prison on a parole violation. But in what appears to have been a mistake, Clemmons was not actually served with the arrest warrants until leaving prison three years later. As a result, Clemmons' attorney argued that the charges should be dismissed because too much time had passed. Prosecutors dropped the charges.

[darla]

My son is in LE and I keep a candle in my window year round with a blue light in it to show my support for LE. It started years ago to honor fallen officers. I use it to honor the fallen and to show my appreciation for all the officers do. I would like to ask everyone to do the same. All the officers in our area have told me and my son that the light means so much to them when they are patrolling my neighborhood.
God Bless the officers who were killed yesterday and their families.

[Fanny Mae]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010393433_webarrest01m.html

Lakewood police shooting suspect shot dead by police in South Seattle early this morning
Maurice Clemmons, the suspect wanted in slaying of four Lakewood police officers, was shot and killed in South Seattle early this morning.

By Jennifer Sullivan, Mark Rahner, and Jack Broom
Seattle Times staff reporters



Maurice Clemmons, the suspect wanted in slaying of four Lakewood police officers, was shot and killed in South Seattle early this morning.

Clemmons, who reportedly was armed with a gun from one of officers he is accused of killing, was standing outside in the 4400 block of South Kenyon Street when he was confronted by officers. He challenged the officers and was shot around 2:40 a.m.

No police were injured in the incident.

Jessica Breznau, who lives near the shooting scene, said she came outside after the shots were fired and saw police.

"One of policemen took me aside and said, 'Let me tell you what's going on.' He was kind of emotional and he said, 'This is the guy who shot the people in Lakewood. He's gone.' "

Breznau said the officer told her that Clemmons had a gun.

At the scene, a couple of dozen police officers milled around, shaking hands and patting each other on the back after one of the largest manhunts in the region's history.

Sylvester Dennis, 50, lives in the area where Clemmons was killed and walked to scene before 5 a.m.

"Sounds like he got what he deserved. Those were police officers, man. You just can't just go around killing people," said Dennis, a truck driver who has lived in the area since he was 11.

Clemmons has been the focus of a manhunt since Sunday morning when he is accused of killing four Lakewood police officers in a coffee shop in Parkland.

Police have said Clemmons received help since the Sunday morning shooting from friends and family who gave him places to stay, medical aid, rides and money, police said. Officers detained a sister of Clemmons who they think treated the 37-year-old suspect's gunshot wound.

Police believe people close to Clemmons have misled officers, and Troyer said anyone helping him could face charges. Clemmons' sister wasn't in custody late Monday, and her name wasn't released.



Authorities said the gunman singled out the Lakewood officers and spared employees and other customers at the coffee shop in Parkland, a Tacoma suburb about 35 miles south of Seattle. He then fled, but not before he was apparently shot in the torso by one of the dying officers.

Killed were Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39, and Officers Ronald Owens, 37, Tina Griswold, 40, and Greg Richards, 42.

Police said they aren't sure what prompted Clemmons to shoot the officers as they did paperwork on their laptops. Clemmons was described as increasingly erratic in the past few months and had been arrested earlier this year on charges that he punched a sheriff's deputy in the face.

Pierce County Sheriff Office spokesman Ed Troyer told the Tacoma News-Tribune that Clemmons indicated the night before the shooting "that he was going to shoot police and watch the news."

Police surrounded a house in a Seattle neighborhood late Sunday following a tip Clemmons had been dropped off there. After an all-night siege, a SWAT team entered the home and found it empty. But police said Clemmons had been there.

Police frantically chased leads on Monday, searching multiple spots in the Seattle and Tacoma area and at one point cordoning off a park where people thought they saw Clemmons.

Authorities found a handgun carried by the killer, along with a pickup belonging to the suspect with blood stains inside. They posted a $125,000 reward for information leading to Clemmons' arrest and alerted hospitals to be on the lookout for a man seeking treatment for gunshot wounds.




 

[Fanny Mae]

My son is in LE and I keep a candle in my window year round with a blue light in it to show my support for LE. It started years ago to honor fallen officers. I use it to honor the fallen and to show my appreciation for all the officers do. I would like to ask everyone to do the same. All the officers in our area have told me and my son that the light means so much to them when they are patrolling my neighborhood.
God Bless the officers who were killed yesterday and their families.

Darla, that is a wonderful idea. Thank you for thinking of this.

[Fanny Mae]

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/78211742.html

Lakewood shooting suspect shot dead by Seattle police



SEATTLE - The man suspected of gunning down four police officers in a suburban coffee shop was shot and killed by Seattle police early Tuesday, a sheriff's spokesman said.

Maurice Clemmons was shot to death around 2:40 a.m. on Kenyon Street outside a home in South Seattle.

Seattle Police Assistant Chief Jim Pugel said a Seattle police officer on patrol in South Seattle came upon an unoccupied running car that had been reported stolen earlier in the night.

As the officer radioed in the license plate and began his investigation of the stolen car, he noticed someone behind his police cruiser. The officer got out and recognized the person as Clemmons, Pugel said.

The officer ordered the person to stop and show his hands, but the man did not comply and began to run away around the vehicle.

The officer fired several rounds and struck the man, gravely wounding him. Seattle medics responded and loaded the wounded man into an ambulance, but he was pronounced dead a short time later. Officers later confirmed the man was Clemmons.

Pugel said Clemmons had a weapon on him that was traced back to a weapon stolen from one of the killed officers at the Lakewood coffee shop.

The officer was not hurt. Pugel has not identified him, except to say he is a seven year veteran of the force. He has been placed on administrative leave as per standard policy. Police are also talking to two witnesses to the event.

Pugel said police are unsure why Clemmons was in that neighborhood and as of yet, have not connected him to any home in the area.

In addition to Clemmons, three other people were arrested overnight for aiding and abetting in Clemmons' escape, said Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer.

One of those included the driver of the getaway vehicle in the original shooting. Troyer said he expects more arrests Tuesday. Troyer said these people tried to hide Clemmons, moved him from location to location, provided him with cell phones and money, and was helping him make arrangements to leave the state.

"They are going to pay for it," Troyer said.

Authorities say Clemmons, 37, killed the four Lakewood officers at a coffee shop Sunday morning in Parkland, a Tacoma suburb about 35 miles south of Seattle.

Police said they aren't sure what prompted Clemmons to shoot the officers as they did paperwork on their laptops. Clemmons was described as increasingly erratic in the past few months and had been arrested earlier this year on charges that he punched a sheriff's deputy in the face.

At the scene, a couple of dozen police officers milled around, shaking hands and patting each other on the back after one of the largest manhunts in the region's history.

Clemmons had stayed on the run for nearly two days with help from a network of friends and family who gave him places to stay, medical aid, rides and money, police said. Troyer told Fox News police arrested three people overnight on suspicion of rendering criminal assistance.

On Monday, officers detained a sister of Clemmons who they think treated the suspect's gunshot wound.

"We believe she drove him up to Seattle and bandaged him up," Troyer said.

Police believe people close to Clemmons have misled officers, and Troyer said anyone helping him could face charges. Clemmons' sister wasn't in custody late Monday, and her name wasn't released...........

[darla]

My son is in LE and I keep a candle in my window year round with a blue light in it to show my support for LE. It started years ago to honor fallen officers. I use it to honor the fallen and to show my appreciation for all the officers do. I would like to ask everyone to do the same. All the officers in our area have told me and my son that the light means so much to them when they are patrolling my neighborhood.
God Bless the officers who were killed yesterday and their families.

Darla, that is a wonderful idea. Thank you for thinking of this.

Wish I could take credit for the idea but I can't. I had read about it in a bulletin my son had gotten in the police academy and my best friend died of a heart attack while on duty Feb. 8, 2001. My son was training with him at the time. I put the candle in the window to honor Roy and all the officers commented on it, so I have kept one burning for almost 9 years now.  They really appreciate it and it is the least i can do along with continous prayers for their safety.

[Fanny Mae]

My son is in LE and I keep a candle in my window year round with a blue light in it to show my support for LE. It started years ago to honor fallen officers. I use it to honor the fallen and to show my appreciation for all the officers do. I would like to ask everyone to do the same. All the officers in our area have told me and my son that the light means so much to them when they are patrolling my neighborhood.
God Bless the officers who were killed yesterday and their families.

Darla, that is a wonderful idea. Thank you for thinking of this.

Wish I could take credit for the idea but I can't. I had read about it in a bulletin my son had gotten in the police academy and my best friend died of a heart attack while on duty Feb. 8, 2001. My son was training with him at the time. I put the candle in the window to honor Roy and all the officers commented on it, so I have kept one burning for almost 9 years now.  They really appreciate it and it is the least i can do along with continous prayers for their safety.

Never mind where you got it, it is an excellent idea and I am so glad you posted it. I know this subject is near and dear to your heart too.

 We lost officers from heart attack too on our department. They were brothers, and both died a few month from each other. They were only in their early 40's. One was on duty with my ex-husbands squad on the midnight shift. The whole squad made it to his side before he died. Some things you never forget.

I will think of something to do. Our window sills are very narrow with blinds. When I do, I will let you know. It is very thoughtful. Thank you again and for your son's serving the public. It is not any easy job, and I know it is hard on you too. 

[Fanny Mae]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010392869_shootingjustice01m.html

Four days in May set stage for Sunday's tragedy

By Nick Perry, Maureen O'Hagan, Jonathan Martin and Ken Armstrong
Seattle Times staff reporters
PREV 1 of 2 NEXT


ELLEN M. BANNER / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Maurice Clemmons took his rage out on his Parkland neighborhood, throwing rocks at houses, cars and people, according to police records. He was charged with child rape after molesting a young female relative in his house in May.
Complete coverage



Over four days in May, Maurice Clemmons' behavior and mental state deteriorated. Family members worried he had gone crazy, that he was verging on collapse. His conduct became so erratic — punching a sheriff's deputy, forcing relatives to strip naked, according to police reports — that authorities eventually charged him with eight felonies, including one count of child rape.

Still, at the end of those four days, Clemmons wound up on the loose — a delusional man with a propensity for violence, who had managed to escape the grip of authorities.

What happened in those four days — and in the months that followed — reflects a system governed by formula and misguided incentives.

That legal system, both in Arkansas and Washington, failed to account for the entirety of Clemmons' violence and his disdain for the law. Individual crimes, viewed in isolation, trumped a long and disturbing pattern of warning signs.

As a result, Clemmons walked out of jail Nov. 23. A week later, he was on the run again — this time accused of shooting and killing four Lakewood police officers in a Parkland coffee shop, in one of the most horrific crimes in Puget Sound history.


May 9

It may have been an argument — precipitated by his wife's discovery that he had a child with another woman — that set Clemmons off.

Whatever it was, Clemmons took his rage out on his Parkland neighborhood, throwing rocks at houses, cars and people, according to police records.

A woman who was visiting family that day says she was leaving the neighborhood when a man hurled a landscaping brick through the driver-side window of her SUV.

"I was just in shock," said the woman, who asked not to be identified because Clemmons remains at large. "The look in his eyes is something I will not forget."

The woman called 911 only after rounding a corner a safe distance away.

A Pierce County sheriff's deputy responded to the disturbance at 12:45 p.m. Outside Clemmons' home, the deputy encountered two of Clemmons' cousins.


When the deputy tried going into the house in search of Clemmons, one cousin grabbed the deputy's wrist. A struggle followed, during which Clemmons emerged from the house and punched the deputy in the face. Clemmons also assaulted a second deputy who arrived to help, according to court records.

Ultimately, all three men were arrested and taken to jail. When being booked, Clemmons refused to cooperate and said, "I'll kill all you bitches," according to a psychological evaluation obtained by The News Tribune.

The two cousins pleaded guilty to felony assault and were sentenced to several months in jail.

But the charges against Clemmons would defy such easy resolution.

May 10

After spending one night in jail, Clemmons caught a break.

May 10 was a Sunday, Mother's Day. Judges rarely work Sundays — but bail-bond agents do.

Pierce County has devised a system that allows people to post bond without ever facing a judge, if it happens to be a holiday or a weekend.

Called "booking bail," this system works according to a hard-and-fast formula. Clemmons was booked on four felony charges — two for assault, two for malicious mischief — and, by schedule, his booking bail was set at $10,000 per charge, for a total of $40,000.

"If you post booking bail, you can walk out without seeing a judge. And that appears to be exactly what he did," said Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney Mark Lindquist. "When it's booking bail, it doesn't take into account particular details like somebody's history. And that's problematic ... it's one of the dangers of booking bail."

If his history had been taken into account, Clemmons would have fared poorly. He had a criminal record dating to his teen years, with at least five prior felony convictions in Arkansas.

Aladdin Bail Bonds posted Clemmons' bond on Mother's Day, and Clemmons walked free. Defendants typically pay 10 percent of the bond, with the bonding company on the hook for the rest.

Stephen Kreimer, executive director of the Professional Bail Agents of the United States, said he doesn't think "booking bail" is common nationwide. In most states, he said, defendants must wait until they've seen a magistrate or court representative before being released on bail.

May 11

After his release on May 10, Clemmons' mental state degenerated, with his wife saying he was acting "crazy," according to a Pierce County sheriff's report.

At about 1 a.m. May 11, Clemmons appeared naked in his living room and demanded that two young female relatives — ages 11 and 12 — sit on an ottoman and fondle him, one of the girls later told police. They obeyed, the girl said, because they were "scared." The 11-year-old soon fled, and wasn't seen for days.

But Clemmons continued to assault the 12-year-old until she cried herself to sleep, police records say. Clemmons, still naked, soon woke her and demanded she join him and his wife, Nicole Smith, in their bedroom. Clemmons referred to himself as Jesus and Smith, naked and wrapped in a bedsheet, as Eve. Smith begged her husband to let the girl go, and Clemmons complied, the girl later told police.

But Clemmons wasn't finished. At about 4 a.m., he assembled his family back in the living room and demanded they strip naked. He talked about how "beautiful it was that they were sharing the moment."

Pierce County sheriff's deputies arrived at about 5:30 a.m. after a family member called 911. With Clemmons now gone from the house, the family described his recent erratic behavior, including his statements that the world was coming to an end and he was "going to fly to heaven."

Acting on a tip from Smith, deputies saw Clemmons nearby, at a second house he was building. But Clemmons ran away before deputies could stop him, and a K-9 unit could not pick up his trail.

Child Protective Services (CPS), alerted by deputies, also investigated the incident and substantiated the sexual-abuse complaint. A CPS spokeswoman said the agency closed the case in October because Smith and the young relative went to counseling and Clemmons was in jail.

May 12

Clemmons was supposed to show up in Pierce County Superior Court May 12, to be arraigned on charges stemming from the rocks and punches he was accused of throwing three days before.

By now, prosecutors had filed a formal set of charges accusing Clemmons with two counts of assault and five for felony malicious mischief.

But at 1:30 p.m., when a court official polled the courtroom gallery to see who was there, Clemmons was a no show. Three hours later, at the close of the court's day, he still was nowhere to be found.

A judge later issued a bench warrant, calling for Clemmons' arrest for failure to appear.

Clemmons was on the run — with seven felony charges already filed against him and another on the way, given what had happened in his house just one day before.

July 1

Clemmons wound up being arrested seven weeks later, on July 1, when he showed up in court, in apparent hopes of having the bench warrant thrown out.

The next day, prosecutors charged him with second-degree rape of a child, accusing him of molesting his 12-year-old relative in May.

Prosecutors also filed a separate charge on July 2 — this one accusing Clemmons of being a fugitive from Arkansas. They cited the chain of events involving the alleged assault on the deputies as evidence that Clemmons had violated his parole in Arkansas. If sent back, he faced the prospect of being returned to prison for years.

But July 22, the Arkansas Department of Community Correction notified Pierce County, by letter, that Arkansas had no interest in taking Clemmons back.

"Arkansas is releasing its hold on the offender and will not extradite at this time," the letter said. "The subject has pending charges in the state of Washington and appropriate action will be taken once the charges have been adjudicated."

Arkansas rescinded its warrant. Had Arkansas not done so, Clemmons would have been held without bail on the alleged parole violation.

Stephen Penner, a deputy prosecuting attorney in Pierce County, said he sees Arkansas' decision to leave Clemmons to Washington this way: "There's a built-in incentive to not following through. In a way, the more violent they are, the less you want them in your community."

Lindquist, Pierce County's chief prosecutor, was asked Monday if he believes Arkansas dumped Clemmons on Washington.

Only Arkansas can answer that question, Lindquist said, but he added: "You could draw that inference."

A spokeswoman for the Arkansas prison system told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that the state issued a second warrant in October that would have allowed Clemmons to be held without bail.

Penner said if a second warrant was issued, no one told him.

Nov. 23

In Washington, the courts had to determine bail for the two sets of charges Clemmons faced.

Phil Sorensen, a deputy prosecutor in Pierce County, said his office asked for $100,000 bail in the assault case — an amount higher than normal for such charges — based on Clemmons' history. The judge, John McCarthy, set the bail at $40,000, Sorensen said.

In the child-rape case, prosecutors wanted $200,000 bail, Lindquist said. The judge, Thomas Felnagle, set bail at $150,000.

Lindquist said he thought both judges set bail too low.

"As prosecutors, we face an uphill battle walking into court," he said. "We have to show that the defendant is a danger to the community and a flight risk."

Neither judge could be reached for comment Monday.

In the end, Clemmons needed to come up with $190,000 bail.

Penner, the deputy prosecuting attorney, said Clemmons was turned away by two bail-bond agencies, based on his history of failing to appear in court. But then Clemmons found a taker: Jail Sucks Bail Bonds, based in Chehalis.

At 8:20 p.m. Nov. 23, bond was posted for Clemmons. That same night he walked out of the Pierce County Jail.....

[Fanny Mae]

http://scaredmonkeys.com/

Cop Killer Maurice Clemmons Shot and Killed … Good Riddance!

Read excellent story on Scared Monkeys front page.

[Nut44x4]

Yeah......no tax dollars wasted here!!

Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer reported that cop killer Maurice Clemmons was shot dead early this morning.

According to CBC Newsnet and FOX News report that this incident happened around 2:30am PT.

Last night police forces were going after relatives who had been helping Clemmons.

 
http://www.nowpublic.com/world/cop-killer-shot-maurice-clemmons-shot-dead

[Nut44x4]

Police: Suspect dead; had slain cop's gun
December 1, 2009

Seattle, Washington (CNN) -- The suspect in Sunday's fatal shooting of four police officers was shot and killed early Tuesday in south Seattle after he challenged an officer who approached him, authorities said.

Maurice Clemmons was carrying a weapon taken from one of the dead officers and had suffered a bullet wound to his abdomen in Sunday's shooting, Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said at an early morning news conference.

Clemmons was killed around 2:45 a.m. by a seven-year veteran of the Seattle police force who had noticed a parked stolen car that was unoccupied but running, said Jim Pugil, an assistant Seattle police chief.

The officer approached Clemmons outside the car and asked him to show his hands, but the suspect refused and started to run around the car, Pugil said.

The police officer, who recognized Clemmons from photographs, then shot and killed him, the assistant chief said.

The officer, who was not identified, was not injured.

Follow local coverage on CNN affiliate KIRO-TV

Authorities said they regretted the shooting death but are glad the two-day ordeal is over.

"Right now, it's just a feeling of relief," Pugil said. "Another tragic time has come upon us, and we're just happy that it's over."

Seattle police Chief John Diaz said, "This is a tragedy. Nobody feels good about this."

Watch police give details of the suspect's death

"I am thankful the suspect in this horrible crime is no longer a threat to our community," Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire said in a statement. "I hope this provides some closure for the families and colleagues of our fallen officers ... We should now focus our attention on providing comfort and support to those who have lost a loved one."

Authorities have arrested at least three people on suspicion of aiding Clemmons after the shooting, Troyer said. Police also arrested a man Tuesday morning suspected of driving the getaway car after Sunday's killings, Troyer said.

The people accused of trying to help Clemmons provided medical aid, housing, a cell phone and money and were trying to get him out of the state, Troyer said. They also called in false leads to police to divert investigators, Troyer said.

"They're going to pay for it," he said. "They're guests of ours."

Troyer did not identify the suspects but said authorities expected to make more arrests Tuesday.

Clemmons had made comments before the shooting that he was going to kill some officers -- comments that were not reported to authorities until after the shootings -- but officials believe he was the lone gunman.

"We don't think anyone helped him plan this murder," Troyer said.

A two-day manhunt for Clemmons, 37, began Sunday after the ambush-style killing of four police officers from Lakewood, about 40 miles south of Seattle. The officers were at a local coffee shop when Clemmons walked in and shot them, police say.

Clemmons was an ex-convict with a long rap sheet in Washington and Arkansas, according to authorities and documents.

Watch a profile of Clemmons

Clemmons slipped away from a home in Seattle's Leschi neighborhood Sunday night before police surrounded the residence for about 12 hours. He was not found in the home when investigators moved in Monday morning, Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel said.

Officials said Tuesday they missed him by mere minutes.

Clemmons was accused of child rape and assaulting a police officer in May. He had been released on $150,000 bail five days before the shootings, according to court records.

After his arrest, Clemmons' sister told police that he "had not been himself lately" and that his behavior was "unpredictable and erratic."

"He had said that the Secret Service was coming to get him because he had written a letter to the president," an affidavit quoted her as telling investigators.

In addition, neighbors had complained that he had been throwing rocks through their windows. Clemmons' wife told deputies that she and her husband had argued over a "newly discovered child," and she suggested that was why he went on his rock-throwing spree, according to an arrest affidavit.

In 2000, then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted a 95-year prison sentence for Clemmons, according to documents from the Arkansas Department of Community Correction. He returned to prison in 2001 but was paroled in 2004.

Sunday's shooting was the first for the Lakewood Police Department, which was created five years ago for the town of nearly 60,000. Until then, the Pierce County Sheriff's Department provided law enforcement services.

The slain officers were identified as Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39; Officer Ronald Owens, 37; Officer Tina Griswold, 40; and Officer Greg Richards, 42. All of them were parents and had been with the department since its inception.

"My worst nightmare has come true," Tiffany Ryan, Griswold's sister, told reporters. "I can't tell you how painful it is to lose my sister."

The coffee shop on Steele Street where the shootings occurred is a popular hangout for law enforcement officers and is one of 22 Forza Coffee Co. locations in Washington.

Police said the gunman walked past the officers to the counter as if to order, then pulled a gun out of his coat and began shooting at 8:15 a.m. Two of the officers were "executed" as they sat at a table, Troyer said.

Another was shot when he stood up, and the fourth was shot after struggling with the gunman all the way out the door, Troyer said.

Clemmons suffered a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Officials said Tuesday they know which officer shot him but were withholding that information pending conclusive confirmation. The wound was serious, Troyer said.

"I'm surprised he survived it," Troyer said. "He was lucky."

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/12/01/washington.suspect.shot/index.html?eref=rss_us&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+rss%2Fcnn_us+%28RSS%3A+U.S.%29

[Fanny Mae]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010396156_webshootinghelp01m.html

2 men charged, several others suspected of aiding alleged cop killer

By Sara Jean Green and Maureen O'Hagan
Seattle Times staff reporters
Two Auburn men have been charged with helping Maurice Clemmons evade authorities after the shooting of four Lakewood police officers in a coffee shop on Sunday.

Charging documents filed today say several other people also helped him, both before and after the shooting — including someone who drove a getaway vehicle from the coffee shop, and a female relative who bandaged wounds he sustained when one of the slain officers returned fire.

Most of those people are not identified by name in the documents.

Clemmons was shot dead this morning by a Seattle police officer.

The two men charged with first-degree rendering criminal assistance are brothers Eddie Lee Davis, 20, and Douglas Davis, 22.

Both pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the charges. Pierce County Judge Bryan Chushcoff set bail for Eddie Davis at $700,000 and bail for Douglas Davis at $500,000.

Clemmons' half-brother, Rickey Hinton, has not been charged yet, but has been booked into jail for investigation of rendering criminal assistance. Chushcoff set his bail at $2 million.

According to charging documents, after the officers were shot, Clemmons showed up, bleeding, at a house where the Davises and Hinton lived. Clemmons told them he had been shot by police. Hinton then told the Davises to get Clemmons out of the area, and gave them the keys to a white Pontiac, the charges allege.

The two men drove off with Clemmons, who told them he had shot or killed police officers, charges allege. They made their way to a residence in the Algona/Pacific area, the home of one of Clemmons' relatives, according to the charges. There, the female relative and the Davises helped Clemmons treat his gunshot wound, the charges allege.

Afterward, the relative drove Clemmons to the Auburn Super Mall and then to an apartment complex, where Clemmons got in a car driven by another woman and took off, according to the charges.

Eddie Lee Davis is also one of Clemmons' co-defendants in a third-degree assault case stemming from the alleged assault on a Pierce County sheriff's deputy in May. Clemmons was accused of punching the deputy in the face, and Eddie Lee Davis allegedly fought with the same deputy, according to court documents filed in the case in Pierce County Superior Court.

Prosecutors say they expect to file additional charges against others who also helped Clemmons get away.

[Fanny Mae]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html



Kelly Richards, center, widow of slain Lakewood police Officer Gregory Richards, and their daughter Jami-Mae, center right, are comforted at a court hearing for three people accused of helping Maurice Clemmons. Behind Kelly is her brother-in-law, Tacoma Police Officer Steve Thornton.

Loyal friends, family helped Clemmons flee police

Even as Maurice Clemmons announced he had gunned down police officers in a Pierce County coffeehouse Sunday, a network of friends and family stood by him, helping him hide from a massive manhunt that had hundreds of officers scouring two counties, according to charging documents.

By Maureen O'Hagan, Susan Kelleher and Christine Clarridge
Seattle Times staff reporters


He spent time in prison for robbery, burglary and firearms possession. He claimed to be the Messiah, threatened violence and, as his family cried, demanded they all strip. He was facing charges of rape.

And yet even as Maurice Clemmons announced he had gunned down police officers in a Pierce County coffeehouse Sunday, a network of friends and family stood by him, helping him hide from a massive manhunt that had hundreds of officers scouring two counties, according to charging documents.

Tuesday, two men were charged with rendering criminal assistance for allegedly helping Clemmons evade capture during the nearly two days he was on the run.

Another person, who was arrested, allegedly drove the getaway car from the shootings; yet another bandaged the gunshot wound Clemmons sustained when one of the officers in the coffeehouse returned fire, the charges allege.

Three others ve been arrested, one man and two women, and authorities say they're likely to file additional charges against those who aided Clemmons in his flight from the worst single act of violence against police in Washington state history.

Clemmons himself didn't live to face charges after he was fatally shot by a Seattle police officer early Tuesday.

To some who knew Clemmons, 37, offering assistance seemed to be almost automatic — a way of protecting a man who, despite a troubled, violent past, had given them help.

"The man was charismatic," said Tim Bean, a Lakewood counselor whom Clemmons consulted last spring. "He had a whole community of family and friends. They loved him."

To outsiders, it makes no sense.

It may have been just a part of a "thug mentality and thug culture," said Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer. "To us, it's not going to make sense."

Troyer said some 50 detectives are working furiously to figure out who, exactly, helped Clemmons evade capture, and to untangle the relationships among them.

Clemmons was 17 when he was convicted of punching a woman and stealing her purse, burglarizing the home of a state trooper and carrying a gun at his high school in Little Rock, Ark.

A judge sentenced him to more than 100 years for the crimes, a term Clemmons and his family believed was excessive and would never have been given to a white suspect found guilty of the same crimes, said Bean, whom Clemmons called his "psychological and spiritual adviser."

"His family was well aware of the injustice that had been done to him," Bean said. "It doesn't make the family and friends any friendlier to the system."

His sentence was commuted, and he came to Washington in 2004 with a wife, Nicole Smith.

The Washington Department of Corrections agreed to supervise him, and he did well enough that he was required only to check in once a year.

He started a business and developed a network of friends and family.

"He'd repair their cars, give them cars and help them," Bean said of Clemmons. "He was such a giving, loving man that it was too much sometimes. They'd call him first because he'd always help them out."

But last spring, he began acting bizarrely, family members told police.

In May, he allegedly started throwing rocks at cars and through the windows of his Tacoma home, then assaulted a Pierce County sheriff's deputy who came to stop him.

Out on bail the next day, Clemmons awoke family members in the middle of the night and demanded they all strip, yelling, calling himself the Messiah, and saying "trust me," according to charging documents. A 12-year-old relative told investigators and Smith, Clemmons' wife, that he had sexually assaulted her.

That day, Smith told investigators she was scared.

Yet when Clemmons was charged, she refused to cooperate, saying it was all "a lie," charging documents state.

Over the summer and fall, Clemmons spent some time in jail for violating the terms of his Arkansas parole — in part because of the back-to-back incidents in May.

On Nov. 23, he got out on bail.

Five days later, according to charging papers, he showed guns to three men in Auburn: Rickey Hinton, 47; Douglas Davis, 22; and Eddie Davis, 20, a co-defendant in the earlier rock-throwing altercation.

Clemmons asked Hinton, described as his half-brother, for keys to his white pickup, and told the men they should keep their eyes on the TV because he planned to kill police, according to charging documents and Troyer.

The next morning — Sunday — four Lakewood police officers were killed in a coffee shop in Parkland. Witnesses said they saw the gunman hop in a white pickup that sped off. Another man was at the wheel.

Details in charging documents get a little murky after that. Several unnamed people are alleged to have offered rides and other assistance to Clemmons over the next 40 hours or so.

But the documents are clear on one point: When Clemmons returned to the home Hinton and Davis share after Sunday's shootings, they allegedly didn't hesitate to help him — even after Clemmons told the men he had been shot by police, charging papers allege. Hinton told the Davises, who are brothers, to get Clemmons out of the area, and gave them the keys to a white Pontiac, according to the documents.

Clemmons allegedly told the Davises he had killed police. They kept driving.

They made their way to the Algona/Pacific-area home of one of Clemmons' relatives, according to the charges. There, an unnamed female relative and the Davises helped Clemmons treat his gunshot wound, the charges allege.

Afterward, the relative drove Clemmons to the Auburn SuperMall and then to an apartment complex, where Clemmons got in a car driven by another unnamed woman, according to the charges.

At some point, the papers say, a female friend took Clemmons to her house in Seattle and he admitted he had shot police. She "bought medical supplies, helped treat a gunshot wound to his torso; he changed his clothes, washed and dried a load of [HIS] laundry," according to charging documents. She later dropped him off in Seattle's Leschi neighborhood.

By then, Clemmons was one of the most wanted fugitives in state history.

At least one relative wanted no part in the getaway. Clemmons allegedly phoned an aunt in Leschi, saying he had been shot and needed a place to hide. She thought better of it, drove to the police station before his arrival and filed a report.

The Davis brothers pleaded not guilty Tuesday to the charges of rendering criminal assistance. Bail for Eddie Davis is $700,000; Douglas Davis' bail is $500,000.

The court hearing was attended by relatives of Gregory Richards, one of the four slain officers, including his widow and one of his daughters. Many struggled in vain to hold back their tears.

Afterward, Richards' sister-in-law, Melanie Burwell, said of the defendants, "They're not human to me."

Hinton was ordered to jail on a 72-hour hold while prosecutors prepare to file charges against him. His bail was set at $2 million, and Troyer said authorities believe he may have played "a larger role" in the crime.

Arrested Tuesday but not yet charged was a man The Associated Press identified as a convicted murderer who served prison time with Clemmons in Arkansas. He is being held for investigation of four counts of rendering criminal assistance.

Troyer said police have yet another man in custody who is believed to have driven the getaway car after the slayings. If police determine this man knew what was going to happen, he could be charged with murder, Troyer said.

Two women were also arrested Tuesday, both for investigation of multiple accounts of rendering criminal assistance. One, in her 50s, was taken into custody in Pacific. The other was arrested in Des Moines.

"We want to hold everybody involved accountable," Troyer said.

Seattle Times staff reporters Mike Carter and Sara Jean Green contributed to this report.

Maureen O'Hagan: 206-464-2562 or mohagan@seattletimes.com


 

[Fanny Mae]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010410055_nicole03m.html

Trusted aunt chose to do the 'right thing'

By Nicole Brodeur
Seattle Times staff columnist
Complete coverage

NEW - 10:58 PM
Trusted aunt chose to do the 'right thing'

NEW - 11:08 PM
Clemmons' driver denies knowledge of plot to kill

Over 2,000 attend Lakewood vigil for 4 slain officers

NEW - 10:52 PM
Graham neighborhood embraces grieving family

Alleged accomplice used an alias

Who leaked photo of Clemmons' body? Investigations launched

Clemmons couldn't be held after 'safety net' dissolved

Calendar of memorials and vigils for slain Lakewood officers

Loyal friends, family helped Clemmons flee police

Gregoire: no more Arkansas parolees

Alleged getaway driver in officers' slaying could face murder charges

Uncle: 'He was all about money ... suddenly, he was all about God'

Routine stolen-car check led to Lakewood police-slaying suspect

Danny Westneat | Fixing blame won't fix this mess

Jerry Large | Answers more than skin deep

Public brings flowers, candles, prayers for fallen officers

E-mails show Washington state battled to keep Clemmons in custody

States at odds over warrant that might have kept Clemmons in jail

2 men charged, several others suspected of aiding alleged cop killer

Lakewood police shooting suspect shot dead by police in South Seattle early this morning

Memorial for slain officers to be next Tuesday at Tacoma Dome

Outpouring of support for families of slain officers grows

Four days in May set stage for Sunday's tragedy

Clemmons' diagnosis: stress

Persuasive appeal helped Clemmons win clemency

Political death blow for Huckabee?

How you can help

Law-enforcement officials believe Clemmons has been sheltered by family, friends

Attack on Lakewood police likely worst in state history

Slain Lakewood officers leave holes in community fabric

Furious hunt for suspect in Lakewood police slayings creates unease for black men

Grief, gratitude for slain officers

'Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom': Neighbors describe shooting of suspect

Nicole Brodeur: Breathless in Leschi — and it's not the view

RAW VIDEO: Scene where Clemmons shot by police

AUDIO | Suspect killed in Seattle

Interactive map and timeline

See the latest tweets on #WAshooting, #lakeshoot and #WAshoot

Gallery | Maurice Clemmons Killed, Community Mourns Slain Officers

Monday coverage
Suspect released in Arkansas after claiming he had changed

Gallery | Police search for suspected cop killer

Gallery | Lakewood police officers killed

Video | Community reflects on slain police

Video | Police shooting: Man who helped baristas

Video | SPD Det. Jeff Kappel speaks about 11-hour standoff

Brenton family statement on slain Lakewood officers

Latest on Lakewood shooting: Police searching near Dr. José Rizal Park

Police still searching for suspected cop killer

Sunday coverage

Police union sets up fund for slain officers

Former Arkansas Gov. Huckabee has controversial record of freeing criminals

Lakewood Police Department created just 5 years ago

Police again see themselves as targets

Slain officers respected for careers, family life

Lakewood police slayings appear to be worst of their kind in state history

Shocked, grieving community holds vigil for officers

Coffee house owner: Shootings 'hit close to home'

Maurice Clemmons clemency and parole documents (PDF)

Statement from Mayor Douglas Richardson and City Manager Andrew Neiditz (PDF)

City of Lakewood identifies officers (PDF)

Related links
Law justifying use of deadly force

Facebook page honoring fallen officers

** | Eyewitness accounts

Video | Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer discusses Lakewood slaying



"I am coming to your house," he said. "I have killed four policemen and I need a place to rest and hide."

We know now who that was: Maurice Clemmons, the man who ambushed four Lakewood police officers Sunday morning, killing them all.

But to Chrisceda Clemmons, 45, the voice on the phone Sunday night belonged to her nephew Maurice. Her sister Dorothy Mae's son. The kid she used to baby-sit back home in Arkansas. The man who seemed determined to succeed, but who had also started to lose his mind last May.

He was in a car, on his way to his aunt's Leschi home, where she lives with her husband, Michael Shantz, 58; their two children, Atticus, 13, and Juno, 7, and a friend's daughter, Alanna, 15. Shantz's two older sons, Ab, 25, and Teo, 21, who rent a house nearby, were also there.

They knew almost nothing about the events of the day: the shootings in the Lakewood coffee shop or the massive manhunt for Clemmons, who had been shot by one of the officers before the officer died.

Chrisceda Clemmons and Shantz had spent the day in Lynnwood, where their band, Bakra Bata, had played at the opening of a transit station. Shantz had glanced at The New York Times online that morning and saw something about four officers in Tacoma, but forgot about it.

Their performance ended at 4 p.m., but they didn't get home until 6. It was almost 7 when the phone rang.

"Maurice sounded pretty normal, just a little hyped," Chrisceda Clemmons remembered Wednesday. "He didn't sound weak from his gunshot."

He would call a total of four times, talking for a bit, then hanging up — but always getting closer. He said he was trying to get as far away from Tacoma as he could. He felt safe in her neighborhood, he said, and thought she and her husband might help him by renting a car and driving him to Arkansas — the place he always considered home.

"He trusted me," Chrisceda Clemmons said. "He trusted that I wouldn't turn him in."

But she did. And she was the only one. Other friends and family are accused of helping Clemmons escape the shooting scene, tending to his gunshot wound, washing his bloody clothes and keeping him out of law enforcement's reach.

But Chrisceda Clemmons couldn't do that. She had to think of her family. And she knew her nephew was not well. There was the time last May at his house in Tacoma when "he got angry at something" and started throwing rocks at his neighbors' houses and cars. One hit an elderly man. Later Clemmons assaulted two sheriff's deputies.

And there were allegations of child rape and "religious delusions," Shantz said, that included Clemmons' belief that he was God, and that swine flu was the apocalypse.

Now this. Four cops dead, and he was headed their way.

"I was in shock," Chrisceda Clemmons said. "That's when we gathered the kids up and sent them away. I believed Maurice when he said he had killed people. I knew he was very angry and frustrated. He was paranoid, and he was very frustrated and sick of the police."

"Tired of these bitches," is how he put it. He told her he had shot the officers intentionally, and believed that they were trying to charge him with rape, which would have given him "three strikes" and sent him back to prison for life.

She asked Maurice if he was armed. Yes, he said.

Shantz told him: "You cannot come to the house. Period."

He asked Maurice if he was willing to get rid of the gun. No.

"Probably an hour passed, and I was getting more panicked," Chrisceda Clemmons said. "Then I just got into the car with Michael and said, 'Let's go.' "

It was about 8 p.m. when they drove to the Seattle Police Department's East Precinct. Shantz went in and left his wife in the car. They knew that it was going to be a long night and hoped that at least one of them would be able to get to their kids, who were staying with Shantz's sons.

"I'm here to talk to someone about Maurice Clemmons," Shantz told the officer at the desk. "I have factual information about his whereabouts."

The officer, who was on the phone, told him to take a seat.

Fifteen minutes later, Shantz told his story, Chrisceda Clemmons was brought in and before long, an army of police officers descended on their neighborhood. There were snipers on roofs, police everywhere. Neighbors couldn't get to their homes. The siege went on all night.

Still, "we don't know if Maurice was ever in the house," Shantz said. "The sergeant on the scene called and told me he saw 'him' get out of a car and go up on the porch, but then we got cut off."

Dawn arrived. Maurice Clemmons was nowhere to be found.

His aunt doesn't understand how he could have gotten away.

"They have all this manpower, snipers on all these roofs and they let this wounded man escape," she said.

A wounded man who was her nephew. Who trusted her.

"Do I feel badly?" she asked. "Yes, I feel bad, but it was the right thing to do because I didn't want him to hurt any more people."

Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer agrees.

"Absolutely, she did the right thing," he said.

But her nephew is dead, shot by a Seattle police officer early Tuesday morning.

"I was actually relieved," she said. "That he died was the best thing for him. He would rather die than go back to prison."

Still, "I felt it was a terrible tragedy that he had to lose his life because of his mental disability," she said.

And she feels awful about the Lakewood officers. Their families. Their children. "It's a terrible tragedy for anyone to lose their lives this way, and I'm sorry."

Now the cleanup begins.

Chrisceda Clemmons is looking for a lawyer to volunteer to help her family through their legal morass.

And the house where she and Shantz have lived for 21 years is trashed from the long police siege. The couple will have to clear a judicial review, they said, before they can receive restitution for the damage that was done.

There is a lot of it: Every window broken, furniture and musical instruments tossed all around. There are tear-gas casings piled by the front door, which has a hole punched in it.

Shantz has been researching how to clean up the tear-gas residue that covers almost everything, and purchased jumpsuits and gas masks for the task.

Stand inside too long and your eyes begin to water.

[Fanny Mae]

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010410030_shootinghelp03m.html

Clemmons' driver denies knowledge of plot to kill

[Fanny Mae]

http://www.komonews.com/

Memorial for Lakewood officers: Live coverage begins at 10 a.m.

[Fanny Mae]

http://www.komonews.com/news/local/78768412.html

Thousands gathering to honor fallen officers



LAKEWOOD, Wash. -- Officers from across the country are gathering to pay tribute to four slain Lakewood police officers.

Firefighters and fellow law enforcement officers are meeting at McChord Air Force Base for a three-hour procession (see route map) expected to include thousands of vehicles that will make its way to the Tacoma Dome beginning at 10 a.m.

Officers from as far away as New York, Chicago and Boston are expected at the memorial service for Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, and Greg Richards.

As many as 20,000 people are expected to pack the Tacoma Dome for the 1 p.m. service.

In addition to eulogies from family, friends and public officials, mourners will watch a video tribute to the officers who were killed by a lone gunman as they sat at a coffee shop before the start of their shift.

Gov. Chris Gregoire, who will speak at the service, has directed that flags at all state agency facilities be lowered to half-staff Tuesday.

Several police guilds and nonprofit organizations have donated $20,000 to cover the costs of the memorial service. A number of UPS services donated the 25,000 programs printed for the event.

Security for the event is expected to be very tight. Every intersection along the procession route will be shut down, and SWAT teams and sharpshooters have already taken up positions at the Tacoma Dome.

The Federal Aviation Administration has issued a temporary flight restriction for the airspace above the memorial site, and only police aircraft will be allowed over the stadium.

---

We will have live coverage of the procession and memorial online, on TV and on the radio beginning at 10 a.m.