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.
Clemmons reportedly is wounded and cornered.... just hope no one else has to get hurt before this POS is put in the ground.......
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010386387_webleschihome29m.html
SPD just put out a Be On The Lookout for a White Buick being driven by possible accomplice. Eddie something or other.
“POSSIBLY ON BOARD IS EDDIE DAVIS, BLACK MAN” ‘83 WHITE BUICK LESABRE”
from post 82 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2396690/posts?page=84
Anything near Seattle is libtard, and there are plenty of libtard cops out there who love “diversity” and hate CCW or even protection guns in the home.
I will be very surprised if any of the victims are black.
This looks like another black-on-white or black-on-other hate crime. It’s reaching an epidemic level ever since zero took office. A lot of blacks have voiced the opinion that “they” are in charge now and whitey gonna have to suk it up.
Not necessarily. More than likely it was a black who thinks it’s open season on whites and cops and any other person or group perceived as having been more empowered until zero took over.
Don’t forget that Van Jones ran an anti-cop organization in the Sad Fagsicko Bay Area not all that long ago. And now there’s this revival of all this Malcolm X and Bobby Seale crap going on. Holder lifted the boot off the necks of muzzie terrorists and Black Panthers.
This increase in black on white and black on other crime should be fully expected. We’re dealing with ignorant, hate-filled lower-than-animals being encouraged in these behaviors by the administration.
There are all kinds of non-muzzie blacks going berserk in this country. They think the election of zero means they’re in charge. They say this. It’s not my speculation. They’re certainly not all muzzies or even NOI or Black Panthers. They’re just feral blacks. That’s all. Nothing fancy. That’s not to say this shooter isn’t a muzzie convert - he may well be, especially if he’s an ex-con - but this has the look of another case of the unleashing of black hate crimes across the country. It was going on across the country before zero got elected. Now we have black-on-white and black-on-other on steroids. The media rarely reports it, but it’s there if you pay attention.
When blacks shoot other blacks, they usually have a reason, such as drugs, alcohol-fired anger, theft, jealousy, long-time animosity, etc.. When they go after whites it’s skin color - racism. They don’t just rob and rape whites anymore. They do horrific beat downs and tortuous killings. The robbing and raping are secondary crimes. They are feral, violent, soulless, gutless cowards beating 80, 90 and 100 yr.old women to death or almost to death as part of purse snatchings, severe, sometimes deadly beatings of old men in wheelchairs, and marauding gang attacks on younger, stronger white men and women.
They should have him on video there.
They’re a lost cause, Jesse and Al notwithstanding.
What’s Huckabee got to do with this case?
Nevermind......the story on Huck’s statement and history with this guy was posted a few posts down from yours.
Didn’t Huck commute some other thug’s sentence and that one seriously re-offended, or do I have Huck mixed up with some other pol?
... said she tried to persuade Huckabee not to shorten the sentence for Dumond.Why Did Mike Huckabee Pardon A Rapist?
“I told [Huckabee]: If you ever let him out, he’s going to do it again,” she said in an interview.
She was able to get a meeting with the governor - who, she said, had not spoken to her before announcing his intention to commute Dumond’s sentence - but realized Huckabee had “made up his mind.” So Stevens stood up, she said, walked over to Huckabee, who was seated on a sofa, squatted down and thrust her face inches from his.
“I said, ‘This is how close I was to Dumond’s face for an hour,’ “ Stevens recalled. “ ‘I’ll never forget his face, and you’ll never forget mine.’ “
The parole board - following a closed meeting with Huckabee - decided to let Dumond go. The following year, Dumond committed the Missouri slaying. He died in prison in 2005. "
Apparently, you’ve got to kill a police officer before they will enforce the law in this country.
This is all so heartbreaking.
Here is a link to someone who knew them, describing each officer.
The woman who was killed:
Tina was our conservative friend. She was excited to be a part of the Olympia Tea Parties and proudly stated why she got involved in politics over the past year. Tina was sharp too, only a couple mornings ago we had a great discussion on the future of our Republic and how we felt true limited government conservatives should take back out political party. If you wanted any details over the massive government spending she would have them for you. If anyone thinks these comments are off color then you did not know Tina well. She would tell you where you could go and like Mark you always knew where you stood with her. She was the toughest little cop I have ever known. Tina has two children and a husband who loves her deeply. My gut hurts that I missed your Halloween party this year. Your memory and strength will help guide our movement to retake our party, this I promise you.
http://lpig.us/
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