Tacoma police chief shoots wife, kills himself

Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^

[ATCNavyRetiree]

Tacoma police chief shoots wife, kills himself

By LEWIS KAMB, PHUONG CAT LE, ANGELA GALLOWAY and RUTH TEICHROEB SEATTLE POST-INTELLIGENCER REPORTERS

GIG HARBOR - Tacoma's police chief shot his wife and then himself in the parking lot of a strip mall Saturday afternoon while the couple's two young children were nearby.

David Brame died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma about 6 p.m. His wife Crystal was in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

On Friday, the Seattle Post-Intelligencer reported that Crystal Brame, 35, had obtained a temporary restraining order in February against her husband. In subsequent court papers, she had accused him of pointing his service revolver at her and trying to choke her during two separate incidents in the past six months.

The couple were going through a divorce.

Brame, a veteran officer who rose through the ranks to become chief in January 2002, denied those allegations in court papers filed in King County Superior Court last month.

Saturday's shooting happened at about 3:10 p.m., said Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer.

"We don't believe other people are involved," Troyer said. "The victims were the chief of the Tacoma Police Department and his wife. We believe he shot her and then shot himself."

Crystal Brame was in a black Toyota Camry with the couple's two children when David Brame approached the vehicle, authorities said. The two had arranged to meet in the shopping mall parking lot. David Brame took the two children - 8-year-old Haley and 5-year-old David - to his burgundy Toyota Camry, which was parked nearby. He then returned to the car Crystal Brame was in. He got in also and a short time later two shots were fired, authorities said.

NOTE: This story has been updated since it was originally posted.

"The kids were screaming," said Kirsten Oakland, who works in a hair salon at the mall. "Who would have thought? Awful. This affected the entire community in a split second."

An off-duty King County paramedic was the first to arrive on the scene and begin treatment.

"It appeared she (Crystal) managed to open the door and fell down to the ground," Troyer said. "And the paramedic pulled up right next to her in the car."

Neither child was hurt. They were with their mother's parents Saturday night, Troyer said.

George Sharp, a supervisor for the Rite Aid store, said almost nobody in the store actually heard the shooting. Many learned of it from customers and employees coming in for their shifts who had learned about the shooting from news reports.

"A lot of people expressed shock that it did happen in Gig Harbor and the customers and the employees wish that it hadn't happened but they didn't really feel any more threatened as they would if it were a drive-by or it were a random act," Sharp said.

"I think that people are saddened it got to that stage and unhappy that it happened here, and unhappy that it happened at all."

Troyer said one of the Brame children got out of the car and went into a nearby Hollywood Video store. Witnesses took the other child to the store too.

Jesse Hentz, assistant manager of the Hollywood Video, said: "I feel really bad. And I want the family to know that people care about them."

In court papers, Crystal Brame portrayed her husband as controlling and jealous, refusing to let her use their credit card without permission and checking her car's odometer to monitor trips to the grocery store.

She also accused him of leaving his loaded service revolver on a bedroom shelf within reach of their two children.

Her fear increased last November when she alleged that the 44-year-old Brame "choked me and threatened that he could snap my neck if he wanted to." It was the fourth time that year he'd tried to choke her, each time sending flowers later to apologize, she said.

And just before they separated in February, she alleged in court documents that Brame pointed his service revolver at her, "telling me 'accidents happen.' "

She did not report either incident to police.

David Brame had maintained he was the real victim of domestic violence during his 11-year marriage. He said he reported the assaults to police -- first to his boss, then-interim Chief Ken Monner and to an officer who photographed his bruises; then to police in Gig Harbor, where he was living at the time.

Both times David Brame insisted that police not arrest his wife or even investigate his allegations - even though a state law requires officers to arrest anyone accused of domestic violence if the complaint is credible.

He explained his unusual behavior in court documents by saying he wanted to "protect himself" in case his wife ever tried to malign him with false abuse allegations.

Tacoma City Councilman Mike Lonergan, who sits on the council's public safety committee, said he had a hard time believing the shooting had happened.

"We knew David from his professional side. This is a total shock," Lonergan said Saturday. "He presented himself as a very together person, business-like and very likeable. This entire thing is hard to grasp."

Although Lonergan said the usually outgoing Brame had been withdrawn and seemed depressed lately, he had no idea what was going on at home.

"To know David Brame took the action he did today shows that there was a whole lot beneath the surface we couldn't see," Lonergan said.

Ken Bunting, executive editor of the P-I, said "this is a tragic development in lives that, from all accounts, have been troubled for quite some time. These events are not only painful for the family, but for the community and all who have the responsibility to ask the difficult questions about it. Domestic violence is never a comfortable topic."

Paul Pastor, Pierce County sheriff, announced Brame's death from outside St. Joseph's hospital. He said only that Brame had died of a gunshot wound; no other details were given.

"This is terribly sad news for this city and this community," Pastor said.

Carlos Sambrano, a childhood friend of the chief, went to the hospital to support the family. He said he and Brame played baseball at Lincoln High School.

"He never appeared to be a violent person," said Sambrano, who described his friend as a "class act."

Visibly distraught over the news of his friend's death, Sambrano said: "What's this world coming to."

[FirstTomato]

Lets talk about Nicole Simpson. She was only too glad to break up the first marriage of O.J. Simpson. She was only too glad to have landed an extremely wealthy football icon. Women who do that are extremely manipulative and used to being in control. But then she got the surprise because she couldn't control O.J.

Sure, he killed her. And he should be in jail. But don't assume that Nicole was an angel. She just got a little bit more than she bargained for in O.J.

[HairOfTheDog]

Maybe. Meeting in a public and nuetral place might also be exactly the way it would be ordered, I don't know. I have a hard time wrapping my head around getting a restraining order out of fear and then turning your kids over to the person in the first place.

[GretchenEE]

P.S. There is no mention in the article that the children were screaming while he shot himself and his wife. That seems to be a pure additional emotional, gratuitous additon, and it seems highly unlikely, since the kids almost certianly did not know what was going on until it was over.

Fact: The local news, KIRO TV, reported repeatedly that witnesses said the children were screaming as all this was happening. The cars were not far apart. Opinion: Given the restraining order, it's likely they heard and saw a lot before Saturday to make them familiar with domestic terror.

[FITZ]

Nicole also didn't leave the very first time OJ abused her. I think the outcome would almost always be different if more women knew (probably by their upbringing) that physical abuse is never acceptable and they should never once tolerate it. Flowers don't make up for being smacked around or choked.

[HairOfTheDog]

But then she got the surprise because she couldn't control O.J. Sure, he killed her. And he should be in jail. But don't assume that Nicole was an angel.

Bizarro.

[FirstTomato]

There are many men who endure horrible abuse at the hands of their wives--both physical and mental and emotional. But most of the abuse that women give their men is emotional and mental. Women are very good at it. And when women constantly abuse their husbands in this way, often the man feels he is backed into a corner. Because after all, the American court system is against him, society has been feminized by the left, and often the woman will literally be able to take every single thing he has ever worked for.

And so don't be surprised if men use violence to fight back. When you back someone into a corner, that's what happens.

[FITZ]

There is also such a thing as court-supervised visitation ---but from other cases I've seen, a restraining order means that there is no visitation until after custody and visitation are legally resolved. I'd wonder why she agreed to meet him ---or if was to give him just "one more chance". With the similar case that happened here ---the woman's family even said she always gave "one more chance" and they would try to convince her otherwise.

[HairOfTheDog]

In fact, according to the TV reports, he pulled them screaming from her car into his own car, returned to the wife and shot her.

[GretchenEE]

The last I heard Washington still issues concealed-carry permits w/o giving a lot of grief in the issuance.

[BossLady]

FNC reported earlier an article appeared in the local paper regarding details of this case yesterday (the restraining order and the wife's testimony to the abuse factor by her husband) and there is speculation the Chief was distraught over the fact his life/reputation was now ruined by this article and took it out on the wife.

Have you heard anything like this????

[FirstTomato]

I think YOU are bizarre, to respond to anything you disagree with like that. So unless you have an opinion that you'd like to express that make sense, please don't respond to my posts on this subject.

[cake_crumb]

She probably still cared. In these cases, the person under the restraining order usually bugs the spouse to talk..."I just need to talk"...eventually, the spouse gives in. The person doing the bugging is, after all, their spouse. That is the mistake. Usually fatal.

It doesn't always work out that way, just usually. A couple of years ago, guy forced his ex girlfriend's car off the road while she was travelling to her parents' house, then shot and killed her.

[MattAMiller]

He thinks. Doesn't sound to me like he thinks much at all. That wussy, PC statement makes me sick.

What's objectionable about that statement? It's just a guy saying it's a bad thing some guy shot his wife.

[HairOfTheDog]

This is a really strange thread for you to continue to fight this 'the woman was probably to blame' cause of yours.

[FITZ]

often the man feels he is backed into a corner.

I don't care ---they too can leave an abusive relationship ---staying is no excuse for murdering the other. You don't stay on and on and let someone make you insane. Same with jobs and bosses ---putting up with abuse is wrong there too.

[headsonpikes]

Thanks.

Occasionally I bang off a good one!

;^)

[DaughterOfAnIwoJimaVet]

I think YOU are bizarre, to respond to anything you disagree with like that.

She and I have disagreed on a few things, and I can tell you she does not "respond to anything [she disagrees] with like that".

It has to be really freaking out there.

[HairOfTheDog]

an article appeared in the local paper regarding details of this case yesterday (the restraining order and the wife's testimony to the abuse factor by her husband) and there is speculation the Chief was distraught over the fact his life/reputation was now ruined by this article and took it out on the wife.

Yes that is true. His divorce proceedings were definately going to be hitting the papers, because of who he was.

[Clinging Bitterly]

I posted on this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/901062/posts?page=1

< snip >

It was reported in the regional media on Friday (before this incident) that she had obtained a restraining order against him.

Of course she had obtained the order against him in February, according to this report. At that point, he was supposed to be gunless. I wonder who didn't see to it he had turned them all in?

Since we have this law requiring the preemptive disarmament of unconvicted subjects of restraining orders, and as long as we have such laws, they must apply to everybody. It's been said somewhere that police officers, as a group, are three times as likely to commit a felony sometime in their life as the general population, and that they are much more likely to be involved in domestic violence, so if it ought apply to anybody...

Maybe courts ought to direct a search of cops' person and property at the moment a restraining order is served, since it's well known that virtually 100% of them have gunz. This is not the first time this has happened, and after Friday's report, I must say what happened Saturday does not surprise me.

< snip >

To expand on what I posted there, I think it's possible this law itself is a factor contributing to the occurrence of some of the shootings.

Dave in Eugene

[HairOfTheDog]

Ineed! - Really out there. ;~D