Posted on 11/29/2009 2:05:23 PM PST by llevrok
PARKLAND, Wash. - Four Lakewood Police officers were shot and killed Sunday morning in what authorities called a targeted ambush at a coffee shop.
Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer says the officers - four male and one female - were in full uniform and wearing bulletproof vests, sitting in Forza coffee shop near 116th Street and Steele Street on the east side of the Air Force base at about 8:30 a.m.
Troyer says the officers were preparing for their shift when a suspect or suspects "walked in with a handgun, opened fire multiple times and then fled the scene," said Troyer.
Troyer called it an "ambush."
"They had marked police cars, marked uniforms, there were other people inside the facility, they weren't shot, wounded or hurt or even aimed at, just the police officers were," said Troyer.
It wasn't clear whether the officers even had time to draw their weapons to return fire, Troyer said.
"This was more of an execution. Walk in with the specific mindset to shoot police officers," Troyer said.
With no known suspects, there was no indication of any connection with the Halloween night shooting of a Seattle police officer. The suspect in that shooting remains hospitalized.
"We won't know if it's a copycat effect or what it was until we get the case solved," Troyer said. "We don't even have a suspect ID right now."
Troyer would not release the names of the victims in Sunday's shooting. He said Lakewood has a small police force and the deaths represent a loss of 10 percent to 15 percent of the department.
Troyer estimates a couple hundred officers from the Washington State Patrol and multiple surrounding police agencies in the area are at the scene, with some coming on their own time.
"We have no motive at all," Troyer said. "I don't think when we find out what it is, it will be anything that makes any sense or be worth it."
Two employees and a few other customers were in the shop during the attack. All are being interviewed by the Pierce County Sheriff's investigators.
"Some are in shock. They are very upset," Troyer said. "They are the ones who are going to put together for us how this happened."
The Forza Coffee Shop, part of a popular local chain, is on a side street near McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma. The shop is in a small retail center alongside two restaurants, a cigar store and a nail salon.
Brad Carpenter, founder and owner of Forza Coffee, said his staff was OK and being interviewed by police, and that his main concern was with the families of the police officers.
"I'm a retired police officer, so this really hits close to home for me," he said.
Roads are blocked around the scene. Dave Gabrielson, a clerk at Foot Mart about a block away from the coffee shop, told the News Tribune that all was quiet when he opened the store at 8 a.m.
About 30 minutes later, "All of a sudden a million cops were zooming up and down the road," he said.
Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said "this is an example of the danger that police officers and deputy sheriffs and state troopers face every day."
"The person or people who did this not only harmed us they harmed the good that we can do in the community. They harmed the good that we work to do every day in the community," he said.
"This is an example of the cost that is sometimes paid by people who believe in duty and obligation and sacrifice and people who do that on behalf of the community."
"We've lost people that we care about, we've lost people I'm sure the good people in the community care about as well," said Pastor.
Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire said she was "shocked and horrified" by the killings.
"Our police put their lives on the line every day, and tragedies like this remind us of the risks they continually take to keep our communities safe," she said in a written statement. "My heart goes out to the family, friends and co-workers of these officers, as well as the entire law enforcement community."
Troyer said there were several active scenes that officers were working. A white pick-up truck was impounded from a parking lot at one scene and a person was taken into custody at another.
He said they are looking to see if there is any surveillance cameras that may have caught the suspect on video.
Troyer said the suspect is a black male, 5-foot-7 to 6 feet tall, 20s to 30s, scruffy appearance, wearing a black coat with a gray sweatshirt underneath, and blue jeans.
A $10,000 reward is being offered for information. Tips can be called in to (253) 591-5959 or 866-977-2362.
Prayer vigil
A prayer vigil for the officers and their families will be held tonight at 6 p.m. at Tacoma Champions Centre at 1819 E. 72nd St. in Tacoma. Directions to the Tacoma Campus.
Hmmm, another jihad buddy of Omoslem?
Uh-oh. The perp has been identified as a “scruffy black male”.
obamaholder won’t let them get away with that!
Maybe, the shooter was only after one of the officers and shot the others so as not to get shot himself, or, if this was something well thought out, to throw the investigation off.
Prayers for the officers and their families.
One thing about this seems odd: I agree with other posters here that the police officers probably could not have drawn down or returned fire because they were seated at a table; but also, almost EVERY police/sheriff officer in the country are issued bullet proof vests, specifically designed to STOP handgun fire at even close range. I would assume these officers had very dependable, high quality vesting that conceivably should have protected them. So how does an assassin kill four police officers with only a handgun before they can even have a chance to shot back?
As ugly as it sounds, I fear these officers lost their lives because the assailant KNEW to go for head shots; making this entire tragedy sound very much like a PLANNED HIT by someone who knew EXACTLY what to do, had TRAINED to do it, and was able to keep EXTREME focus in their actions. Correct me if I am wrong fellow Freepers, but don’t most inter city gang thugs practice the “spray and pray “ approach to target acquisition? What happened in Tacoma this morning sounds more like the way drug cartels in Mexico target police. It seems we are perhaps dealing with someone here who was very pre-meditated, knowledgeable and para-military in their ability. GHASTLY....
bookmark for further updates
I foghorned the word “community” six times in short order.
That's describes half the black men in the damn city. The assailant knew how to look non-descript. This is definitely a professional hit.
xxashyy (11 minutes ago) Reply The police should go on strike in ALL Black areas.
djzacmaniac (20 minutes ago) Reply The Tacoma cops were pissed they had to let you go.
oneofonex1 (26 minutes ago) Reply exactly, its a terrible description and can fit just about every black male within that age range. To make matters worse the news stated they dont kno where the description is coming from and there are witnesses but no one can say what the guy actually looks like.
18ou (28 minutes ago) Reply this is what they get for shootin up young innocent blacks 40 times!!!
mhartson1 (30 minutes ago) Reply You are absolutely correct that its sad about the kid in san francisco and that cop was wrong and should lose his job. You are, however, very ignorant in stating that all cops are dirty. You are obviously very uneducated and ignorant generalizing and assuming all cops are bad. Get an education and try to be more compassionate.
personkid20 (31 minutes ago) Reply f!@#$ police good job well done now repeat ovr and over.......lol
santino7777 (40 minutes ago) Reply Death penalty, death penalty, martial law, concentration camps....BBBBzzzzzzzzzzzzzt, bbbzzzt, gotta start electocuting all those scum in jail. Line em up....ratatatatatatat....let the MGs do the talking. What the hell? What happened to America anyway??? Let's take it back!
djzacmaniac (42 minutes ago) Reply Is it just me, or do you picture an extreme difference between 5'7'' and 5'10''? I would consider 5'7'' being the height of a short man, and a man standing 5'10'' being not a short man.
marniespeaks (46 minutes ago) Reply drugs?
That's some collection of people who responded to the Article posted at your link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_ofoW7zvnE
Washington Police Stations In Lockdown After 4 Officers Killed"
“Uh-oh. The perp has been identified as a “scruffy black male”.”
The report I saw said african american... I wondered how they could tell. Might he not be an African Kenyan.?
Police just announced that the perp may have been shot during the ambush. At least one officer fired rounds. Police are asking public to be on lookout for a wounded person.
Police said 2 officers had no chance to react. A third officer fought briefly but was killed. The 4th officer fought the perp all the way out the front door and may have wounded him.
What vermin.
You are correct! Four dead. One other alive?
“I’ve already seen on libtard blogs where they are saying this proves carry laws will provide no protection.....”
I’ve seen, in 1930’s Europe, the results of an unarmed controlled population.
Never again.
Guarantee you this was a Muslim convert. Takers?
Mistakes on quotes like that are usually not missed.....
We could have one officer critical and being protected since they may have known the suspect.....
All the officers had their vests on so it appears to be head shots......
More Hmmmmmm......
I don't think so in this case. This is just outside of an AFB and only a few exits north of Ft Lewis. There is no shortage of military targets in the area. If a Musie wanted to make a hit, I think military would of been the target.
I would be willing to bet there could be a tie with the Seattle ambush on Oct 31st and the police car fire bombings two weeks earlier. They caught that guy, but did that cop killer (also black man) have connections with others in the area that could of been part of a large plot?
...and sign the town up for sensitivity training since it must have been their fault, especially if a black Muslim did it.
Contact google they own u tube
Let’s see. I will bet the house one of the killers was black. Now why would I say that? Well just like terrorist explosions are 99% done by Islamofascist jihadists, nearly 84% of all murders are done by blacks usually against other blacks. Racist? No, just a fact that the black community should deal with and soon. All the young men are in danger of being incarcerated and they will have no one to blame but their own communities who did not face up to the problem of black criminality. No PC sociologist studies will change the facts. Deal with it Al and Jesse and stop blaming The Man. It is criminal to let young black men go to waste in crime just because it is easier to blame anybody but the black community’s failures. Of course, there are some nature vs nurture factors too but it is time to look at this black crime as now endemic to the destruction of a group that could be a principal good part of America’s future. And I know the libs will hate this but I also know that I am right here.
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