RSSFour Police Officers Dead, Ex-Con Suspect Maurice Clemmons being Sought for Questioning in Ambush Murders
It was a brutal and heinous execution type ambush murder. Tragically, four Lakeland, Washington police officers lost their lives as Sunday morning as a individual gunned them down as the unsuspecting police officers sat at the Forza Coffee shop.
Lakeland’s Finest: Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39; Officers Ronald Owens, 37; Tina Griswold, 40; Gregory Richards, 42.
According to the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, the slain officers have been identified as 39-year-old Sergeant Mark Renninger, 37-year-old Officer Ronald Owen, 40-year-old Officer Tina Griswold and 42-year-old Officer Greg Richards.
Renninger, a 13-year law enforcement veteran, was a dedicated family man with a wife and three children.
37 year old ex-con Maurice Clemmons is being sought as a person of interest in the shooting and murders of the four Lakeland officers. Clemmons is being called a POI and not a suspect, just yet. Clemmons was seen in the area of the shootings at the time they occurred. It is reported that Clemmons had been shot in the abdomen.What a shock, Clemmons has an extensive criminal record and was just recently released from jail. He has a criminal history in both Arkansas and Washington.
Maurice Clemmons
Clemmons, who was recently released from jail, has an extensive criminal record in Pierce County and Arkansas, court records show. He currently faces eight criminal charges in Washington state.
The four officers were killed at about 8:15 a.m. by a scruffy-looking man who walked into a coffee shop and opened fire. The officers — three men and one woman — were found dead by deputies who arrived at Forza Coffee at 11401 Steele St. S., Troyer said.
Why are we not surprised … Maurice Clemmons, man wanted for questioning, has troubling criminal history. Clemmons has a long criminal record of violence, erratic behavior and concerns about his mental health. What, because we think that a person who guns down four police officers in cold blood is a boy scout? Updates from The Other McCain.
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.
From Michelle Malkin: Violent felon granted clemency by Huckabee now sought in Lakewood, WA police ambush.
Statement from Mike Huckabee.com:
“The senseless and savage execution of police officers in Washington State has saddened the nation, and early reports indicate that a person of interest is a repeat offender who once lived in Arkansas and was wanted on outstanding warrants here and Washington State. The murder of any individual is profound tragedy, but the murder of a police officer is the worst of all murders in that it is an assault on every citizen and the laws we live within. (snip)
UPDATE I: According to reports, there is a tense standoff with the suspect in the slaying of four Lakewood, Wash., police officers. SWAT and police have surrounded a Leschi home in Seattle where it is presumed that the cop killer Maurice Clemmons is suspected of being located.
Police used a loudspeaker, flashbangs and what appeared to be tear gas on a building in Seattle’s Leschi neighborhood early Monday where suspect Maurice Clemmons was believed to be located.
Clemmons, 37, was shot and wounded during the attack on the four officers Sunday morning, police said, Police said he was apparently shot in the “trunk” of his body and that witnesses and people who have had contact with Clemmons say he had been trying to treat the wound himself. It was unclear what his condition was, or if he was even in the building
UPDATE II: Suspect in Lakewood police shootings not in Leschi home. Seattle Police: Cop-Killing Suspect on The Loose
A Seattle police SWAT team this morning swarmed a Leschi home surrounded overnight but did not find suspected cop killer Maurice Clemmons inside.
A murder warrant has been issued for Clemmons, the man suspected of killing four Lakewood police officers Sunday in a Parkland coffee shop, Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said.
Police had surrounded the home late Sunday night and Troyer said the search of the house finished shortly after 7 a.m. Officers searched with a robot before SWAT officers moved in.
UPDATE III: From HUCK PAC … more thoughts on the statement.
I guess it is a good thing that Mike Huckabee just recently said that he was most likely not going to run for President in 2012. After the terrible PR from the 4 police officers gunned down by a convict granted clemency by then Arkansas Mike Huckebee, the chances just became even less. Don’t quit your weekend job on Fox, Mike. For some one who talks about personal responsibility, Mike Huckabee, you might want to take a bit more yourself than blaming this on the failures of the criminal justice system.
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. He was recommended for and received a commutation of his original sentence from 1990, this commutation made him parole eligible and he was then paroled by the parole board once they determined he met the conditions at that time. He was arrested later for parole violation and taken back to prison to serve his full term, but prosecutors dropped the charges that would have held him. It appears that he has continued to have a string of criminal and psychotic behavior but was not kept incarcerated by either state. This is a horrible and tragic event and if found and convicted the offender should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our thoughts and prayers are and should be with the families of those honorable, brave, and heroic police officers.
UPDATE IV: UW police alert students to suspect sighting
SEATTLE — University of Washington police have alerted students to an unconfirmed report that the suspect in the Lakewood police shootings may have been sighted on or near the campus in Seattle.
Cmdr. Jerome Solomon says someone reported that Maurice Clemmons was seen getting off a bus about 7 a.m. Monday near the university’s hospital. He says police are checking the area.
Posted November 30, 2009 by Scared Monkeys Bizarre, Crime, Deceased, Government, heroes, Murder, WTF | 14 comments |
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14 Responses to “Four Police Officers Dead, Ex-Con Suspect Maurice Clemmons being Sought for Questioning in Ambush Murders”
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This is just another example of our Criminal Justice System failing to properly do its job.
It is terrible for the families of the officers that they had to loose their lives because a parole board did not do its job.
PAROLE BOARDS NEED TO BE SHUT DOWN AND EVERY CONVICTED CRIMINAL MADE TO SERVE THEIR ENTIRE SENTENCE.
Fifty years ago most states had a “three strikes and your out law” meaning that if a person is convicted of three felonies, then they were given life in prison with no parole.
Our courts and parole systems are failing to do their job.
But we will NEVER see this
described as a “racially motivated hate crime”.
The justice systems that represent the democracies of the free world have flip flopped from their roots. Law abiding citizens are the victims of liberal legislation … liberal legislation that upholds the rights of criminals.
Janet
+++++++
Suspect in Cop Killings Was Out on Street Despite Lengthy Rap Sheet, Sentences
Monday, November 30, 2009
… His criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington, according to The Seattle Times. He had a lengthy prison sentence commuted in 2000 by former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, who cited Clemmons’ youth.
Rhonda Sharp, a spokeswoman for the Arkansas Parole Board, said then-Gov. Huckabee commuted Clemmons’ 108-year prison term to a sentence of 47 years, five months and 19 days.
“[Huckabee's commutation] made him eligible for parole at that point,” Sharp told FoxNews.com on Monday.
Clemmons later violated his parole and was returned to prison until his release in 2004.
… Clemmons, who was released from custody in Washington just seven days ago, had been jailed in Pierce County on a pending charge of second-degree rape of a child. Using a bail bondsman, Jail Sucks Bail Bonds, Clemmons posted $150,000 — only $15,000 of which was his own money — and secured his release on the pending rape charge.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577845,00.html
#2
Miklo … you are correct.
There would have been riots in the streets of Seattle if four black police officers had been killed by a lunatic of the white race. The media would have had a heyday. It would not have matter what channel was flipped to … the image of Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton would have graced the screen.
There is such a double standard … such a bias.
Janet
the longer obama stays president, the more of this we will see.
This hurts any chance of Mike Huckabee running for the Presidency in 2012.
#2 good point.
Where is Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton screaming hate crime?
This animal supposedly bragged to friends that he was going to kill cops the night before. When he started shooting in the coffee shop he only targeted police officers.
Yes this is a hate crime.
Of course the questions remains, how in the hell this POS was on the streets with outstanding warrants against him.
R
#7 … Of course the questions remains, how in the hell this POS was on the streets with outstanding warrants against him.
R
+++++++++
The same reason that that a follower of Islam had the freedom to end the lives of 13 individuals at Ft. Hood. Internal investigations revealed this military officer was a time bomb waiting to explode yet … the required steps to protect the innocent were not taken.
Political correctness as well as liberal legislation/ politicians puts the citizens of the democracies of the free world at risk every day.
Janet
Excuse my edited French, but where the f*ck does this POS get $15,000 dollars to get out of jail?
And what judge gives him that bail for child rape to begin with?
This boils my blood. This is not political correctness, this is dereliction of duty.
I am so angry that Mike Huckabee … who was instrumental in allowing this tragedy to unfold … is unrepentent. I would have given this man so much more credit.
Huckabee refuses to take personal responsibility for the chain of events that led to the death of four police officers and … when families and friends are considered … affected the lives of countless others. Huckabee does not get it. He blames the justice system. The justice system had done its job. Mike Huckabee had a choice prior to signing that proclamation commuting Maurice Clemmons’ 100 year sentence as per the parole board’s recommendation.
A 100 year sentence implies red flags. A 100 year sentence implies that the writing is on the wall in regards to the probability of future offences. Logic dictates.
Janet
++++++++
Clemmons’ Commutation Proclamation
http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/113009clemmonsproc.pdf
Suspect in Cop Killings Was Out on Street Despite Lengthy Rap Sheet, Sentences
Monday, November 30, 2009
Huckabee said the criminal justice system “failed miserably” in Clemmons’ case.
“If I could’ve known nine years ago, looked into the future, would I have acted favorably upon the parole board’s recommendation?” Huckabee told Fox News Radio on Monday. “Of course not.”
Responding to his critics, Huckabee said, “Politics is the last thing on my mind. It should be the last thing on anybody’s mind. To me it’s repulsive that people are trying to bring something like that up in the midst of what ought to be a concern for these officer’s families.
“The criminal justice is far from perfect and in this case it failed miserably on all sides.”
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,577845,00.html
#2- Miklo—well my question is why the hell not!?
If this were a white man shooting 4 black police officers–wouldn’t Rev. Jackson and Al Sharpton already be screaming at us in our living rooms from our TV sets right about now?
Here is a fact: A BLACK MAN SHOT AND KILLED 4 WHITE LAW ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL. Now! That’s a racially motivated act right there in a nutshell and I’m not afraid to say it.
I am Caucasian and I am SICK TO DEATH of feeling LIKE I AM THE MINORITY NOW! I feel so opressed! I feel, as Caucasians, we are being DISCRIMINATED AGAINST. Isn’t that against my equal rights as a member of the human race??????
This IS a RACIST ACT!
Now, if others want to pull the damn FAKE race card and call me a RACIST myself—so be it! Just calling it like I see it—doesn’t necesarily make me right.
#9—- EXACTLY! You are so right. My blood is boiling right along with yours, Friend.
Have to sign off now and go throw the nerf ball at my TV when the 11:00 news comes on. Oh, and if I have to sit through one more report about Tiger Woods again….Good Grief!
[...] is over and ends in the death of the man who was suspected in the murders of four police officers. Clemmons ambushed and gunned down Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39; Officers Ronald Owens, 37; Tina Griswold, 40; Gregory Richards, 42 in a [...]
Man Who Killed 4 Washington Police Officers Shot Dead
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,578292,00.html