Good, good riddance.
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 in a working-class south Seattle neighborhood after police tracked him down using possible hiding spots supplied by Pierce County investigators, said Ed Troyer, a spokesman for the county sheriff.
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.
Authorities said the gunman singled out the Lakewood officers and spared employees and other customers at the coffee shop. 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.
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 truck 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.
"We need to get him into custody and we need to end this," Troyer said Monday night.
Authorities in two states were criticized amid revelations that Clemmons was allowed to walk the streets despite a teenage crime spree in Arkansas that landed him an 108-year prison sentence. He was released early after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted his sentence.
Huckabee cited Clemmons' youth in granting the request. But Clemmons quickly reverted to his criminal past, violated his parole and was returned to prison. He was released again in 2004.
"This guy should have never been on the street," said Brian D. Wurts, president of the police union in Lakewood. "Our elected officials need to find out why these people are out."
Huckabee said on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" Monday night that Clemmons was allowed back on the street because prosecutors failed to file paperwork in time.
Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley, whose office opposed Clemmons' parole in 2000 and 2004, said Huckabee's comments were "red herrings."
"My word to Mr. Huckabee is man up and own what you did," Jegley said.
Clemmons was charged in Washington state earlier this year with assaulting a police officer and raping a child, and investigators in the sex case said he was motivated by visions that he was Jesus Christ and that the world was on the verge of the apocalypse.
But he was released from jail after posting bail with the assistance of Jail Sucks Bail Bonds.
Documents related to those charges indicate a volatile personality. In one instance, he is accused of gathering his wife and young relatives and forcing them to undress.
"The whole time Clemmons kept saying things like trust him, the world is going to end soon, and that he was Jesus," a Pierce County sheriff's report said.
Comments
Good, good riddance.
Just taking care of business.
Everyone who helped him needs to be behind bars for a long time.
Where's Justus4?
I guess Huckabee can forget about running for Pres. again,,
nice dancing huckabee, he signs the papers authorizing his release now blaming others for his shortcomings....but at least this human [filtered word] is off the streets and the poor taxpayers wont have to take care of him..i wonder what explaination huckabee can give to the families of the slain police officers...
I can promise my vote for him in the presidential primary election is the last he'll ever get from me.
Let me guess, Justus 4- The good ol boy system failed this minority, right? Please grace us with your knowledge and spin this story. I dare you!
I Voted for Huckabee, I will never vote for him again; not based on the commutation, rather based on him not owning the truth.!
Thank you to the police officers for removing this dangerous animal from our midst. Glad you got him instead of him getting anymore of you. Sorry you had to do what had already been done once. Huckabee is going to have a hard time getting rid of his "Willie Horton". Bad move. I have to wonder who else endorsed this guy's clemency. They don't get the governor's signature without someone pulling for them. Who else do we need to thank?
Mike Hickabee is toast. He let this guy and many others out on the streets. And the deplorable dialogue on O'Reilly last night just shows that what is good for the goose is definitely not good for the gander. How can you now believe anything this complete bozo says on his talk show? The deaths of 4 police officers, and other crimes is a tough thing to carry around with you for the rest of your life.
justus4 doesn't want to say anything because it's a black man that shot and killed four white police officers. That doesn't fit his world view and he doesn't want to draw attention to something that, only if it was the other way around, might be considered a hate crime. The whole "hate crime" category is useless. All crimes are hate crimes.
Why do idiots like Rollin Eyes and Lola Jeans single JUSTUS out on certain topics but are GHOSTS on other topics. You two are no better than he is and that is hard to do. As far as Huckabee is concerned, I am no fan of his but how in the hell can he be blamed for this man's actions? How many out of those he released have gone on to commit more crime?
Faux seems to be avoiding the Huckster connection like the plague. Constant up to date coverage of the White House gate crashers, but not a single mention of Huckster this am.
Spy, You can bet we'll find out the answer to that question. Maybe not on Fox, but we'll find out.
Tech- Quoting from Fox in their latest update (been there all morning) - "Authorities in two states were criticized amid revelations that Clemmons was allowed to walk the streets despite a teenage crime spree in Arkansas that landed him an 108-year prison sentence. He was released early after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted his sentence.
Huckabee cited Clemmons' youth in granting the request. But Clemmons quickly reverted to his criminal past, violated his parole and was returned to prison. He was released again in 2004.
"This guy should have never been on the street," said Brian D. Wurts, president of the police union in Lakewood. "Our elected officials need to find out why these people are out."
Huckabee said on Fox News' "The O'Reilly Factor" Monday night that Clemmons was allowed back on the street because prosecutors failed to file paperwork in time.
Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley, whose office opposed Clemmons' parole in 2000 and 2004, said Huckabee's comments were "red herrings."
"My word to Mr. Huckabee is man up and own what you did," Jegley said." So, once again...YOU LIE!
Tech - apparently you are not reading the Fox stories on-line because they are full of Huckabee connections.
TV, not online.
That's probably a good idea based on your reading comprehension.
From what I read Gov. Huckabee commuted Clemmons sentence citing his youth (back in 2000) but Clemmons violated his parole and was sent back to prison. How can Gov. Huckabee be held responsible for Clemmons being released AGAIN in 2004. AND just this year Clemmons was charged with some rather serious crimes but released on bond. Seems to me there are a lot more individuals responsble for Clemmons RELEASES in the past 9 years than Gov. Huckabee.
ICL - There is certainly plenty to go around, but IF Huck had kept him in prison he wouldn't have been able to assault the officer or rape the child. Those crimes would have been done on other inmates.
SOUTHERNGUY, I understand why Ga and SC are last in education. If your pathetic mind got that I am defending this man then I guess I have been right about your lack of intelligence. I merely stated that IMHO Huckabee is not responsible for this man's action. Now in your pathetic mind, how is this a defense of this man. Last time I looked, Huckabee was white.
Huckabee took resposibility for his part in the commuting, in which it was recommended by 5 of the 5 people on the clemency board. Huckabee is a real stand up guy. I'd really like for him to run for president again and win in 2012.
Huckabee would still gets my vote...and millions of others.
I would still give him my vote as well. Now if you want to talk about not mannin' up, get the Democratic Party to admit that the home mortgage collapse was due to THEIR guys in charge of Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. Not to mention their pal, ol' Barney.
First of all Huckabee is a fool. He TRIPLED the size of state govenment in Arkansas during his tenure and now we find out he released criminals like this animal. If you consider voting for him then you are fiscally and morally irresponsible. Secondly when are you people going to put pressure on your elected officials to finally revamp the judicial system and issue death sentences to all convicted violent felons and all 2 time convicted felons and require the courts hear all appeals and motions within one year and start executing these unrehabilitable dregs swiftly. If we are going to spend bloated stimulus money then at least spend it on more judges and DAs and start cleaning up America and its wasteful prison system.
Why do idiots like Rollin Eyes and Lola Jeans single JUSTUS out on certain topics but are GHOSTS on other topics. You two are no better than he is and that is hard to do. As far as Huckabee is concerned, I am no fan of his but how in the hell can he be blamed for this man's actions? How many out of those he released have gone on to commit more crime?
Posted by ispy4u on Tue Dec 1, 2009 9:34 AM...Oh dont get your panties in a big wad Ispy. Name another person on this site that ever posts comments even close to Justus4, please. As I've said before his comments actually comical to me. As I assume a black indivdual, arent you embarassed by his BLATANT RACISM and WOE IS THE POOR BLACK MAN mentality? Sorry that you prefer that I not mention it, but that kind of rhetoric diserves everything that comes his way. When have I been a ghost? When there is a meth bust with whites involved I comment on those as well. By the way, I think Huckabee should take the heat for commuting this guys sentence! Oh gosh! A repub bashing another repub! Wow! Maybe you libs ought to try that sometime. Its quite refreshing!
Also Ispy, if you meant that I dont say anything when other whites make blatantly racist comments on here, trust me they arent as out of control and over the top like Justus4's are. Not even close. If the calling the president dumb is racist than you and I cant have a discussion about race. By the way, where are you when your fellow african americans (i.e. Jackfarrakhan Fruit, RCR, etc) make racist statements? mmmm....
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