And Then, The Hell Began

Maurice Clemmons

Over the weekend, while most of us were engrossed in the Tiger Woods saga (or non-saga, depending on how you look at it), another more serious drama was unfolding in the state of Washington. An obviously deranged African-American man entered a coffee shop and opened fire on four police officers, killing all of them and getting wounded himself. Now he's dead!

The suspect in Sunday's fatal shooting of four police officers was shot and killed early Tuesday by an officer after the suspect approached him and "reached into his waist area", authorities said in a statement. Although, the medical examiner had not formally identified the man shot and killed in South Seattle about 2:45am Tuesday morning, detectives recognized him as Maurice Clemmons, sought in the killings of four Lakewood, WA police officers shot Sunday at a coffee shop.

Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said earlier Tuesday that Maurice Clemmons was carrying a weapon taken from one of the slain police officers and had been shot in the abdomen in Sunday's shooting at the Forza Coffee Company in Parkland, WA. He stuffed gauze and cotton into the wound and put duct tape over it, Troyer said Tuesday. I saw something like this done in a Western once... wonder if Clemmons was watching the same movie?

Maurice Clemmons had been the subject of an intense manhunt for two days. Two people accused of helping Clemmons evade authorities, brothers Eddie and Douglas Davis, appeared in court Tuesday. Both men are charged with rendering criminal assistance, a felony. A man who police believe is the getaway car driver was also in custody, along with a second man. Neither has been charged as of yet.The men accused of trying to help Clemmons provided medical aid, housing, a cell phone, and money and were trying to get him out of the state, Troyer said earlier Tuesday. They also called in false leads to police to divert investigators. What is wrong with people? Why would they help a guy accused of killing four cops? It makes me scratch my head.

Early Tuesday, a patrol officer saw an unoccupied car in South Seattle that was running and had its hood up, police said. He determined the car was stolen and was doing paperwork in his vehicle when he saw a man approach his patrol car from behind on the driver's side, the statement said.

The officer got out of the car and ordered the man to stop and show his hands, but the man refused, the statement said. "As the officer was drawing his gun, the suspect reached into his waist area and moved", the police statement said. "The officer fired several times, striking the suspect at least twice." He was pronounced dead at the scene. The officer is a four-year member of the Seattle police force and is a military veteran, police said. He will be placed on administrative leave, which is standard procedure after a shooting involving an officer. Authorities said they regretted the shooting death but are glad the two-day ordeal is over.

"Right now, it's just a feeling of relief," said Jim Pugil, the assistant Seattle police chief. "Another tragic time has come upon us and we're just happy that it's over." Additional arrests in the case are likely, Troyer said Tuesday."

I am thankful the suspect in this horrible crime is no longer a threat to our community", Washington Governor Christine Gregoire said in a statement. "I hope this provides some closure for the families and colleagues of our fallen officers. We should now focus our attention on providing comfort and support to those who have lost a loved one."

Clemmons had made comments before Sunday's shootings that he was going to "kill some officers "... comments that were not reported to authorities until after the shootings, but officials believe he was the lone gunman. Sometimes people take this "no snitching " thing to the extreme. "No snitching" is a code amongst criminals... if you're just a citizen, who we will assume is not a criminal, then that "code" should have nothing to do with you. Whoever allegedly heard him say this could have alerted somebody and perhaps four people would still be alive. Of course, hindsight is always twenty-twenty.

"We don't think anyone helped him plan this murder", Troyer said. The manhunt for Clemmons began Sunday after the four Lakewood officers, three men and a woman, were gunned down while meeting at the coffee shop before their shifts began. Clemmons was an ex-convict with a long rap sheet in Washington and Arkansas, according to authorities and documents. Clemmons slipped away from a home in Seattle's Leschi neighborhood Sunday night before police surrounded the residence for about 12 hours. He was not found in the home when investigators moved in Monday morning, Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel said.

Officials said Tuesday that they missed him by mere minutes. Clemmons was accused of child rape and assaulting a police officer in May. He had been released on $150,000 bail five days before the shootings, according to court records. After his arrest, Clemmons' sister told police that he "had not been himself lately" and that his behavior was "unpredictable and erratic." Seems like he still was not himself!

"He had said that the Secret Service was coming to get him because he had written a letter to the president", an affidavit quoted her as telling investigators. In addition, neighbors had complained that he had been throwing rocks through their windows. Clemmons' wife told deputies that she and her husband had argued over a "newly discovered child," and she suggested that was why he went on his rock-throwing spree, according to an arrest affidavit.

My cousin, Atif , on his Facebook page asked how a guy with a violent history and known mental health issues was allowed to be free and on the street. Here is the answer to his question: In 2000, Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee (Yeah, that Mike Huckabee, as in former Republican Presidential Candidate Mike Huckabee.) commuted a prison sentence for Clemmons, according to documents from the Arkansas Department of Community Correction. A sentence that totaled 108 years. Are you shaking your head right now? I am. If you can remember, in 1988, the Republicans made a huge ruckus about the fact that Democratic Governor, Mike Dukakis paroled a black convict named Willie Horton, who went on to rape and kill again. I expect the same hue and cry over Republican Mike Huckabee paroling this man, who did far worse. Chances are, there will be none. Already, Huckabee is shifting the blame by saying that he only paroled him because the Arkansas prison administration couldn't get their paperwork together.Wasn't he their boss? Wasn't it his responsibility to see that they had their act together?

Clemmons was sentenced to 95 years, to be served consecutive to time he was already serving from previous convictions, according to the documents. In all, he faced a total of 108 years, as I stated above. He returned to prison in 2001 and was remarkably paroled in 2004. Let's hear it for Mike!

Sunday's shooting was the first for the Lakewood Police Department, which was created five years ago for the town of nearly 60,000. The slain officers were identified as Sgt. Mark Renninger (39), Officer Ronald Owens (37), Officer Tina Griswold (40), and Officer Greg Richards (42). All of them were parents and had been with the department since its inception.

"My worst nightmare has come true," said Tiffany Ryan, Griswold's sister. "I can't tell you how painful it is to lose my sister." Police said the gunman walked past the officers to the counter as if to order... but then, he pulled a gun out of his coat and began shooting at 8:15am. "Two of the officers were 'executed' as they sat at a table", Troyer said. "Another cop was shot when he stood up, and the fourth was shot after struggling with the gunman all the way out the door", Troyer said. Officials said Tuesday they know which officer shot him but were withholding that information pending conclusive confirmation.

What a mess! You can beleive that there will be scratching, knawing, and blame-shifting behind this one. There will be the familiar call for gun control and the usual fight against it by the NRA. We will probably find, as we have in a few cases, that this guy owned this gun legally. I would not be surprised at all. Those seven or eight misguided people who aided him will be prosecuted and locked up... but, in the end, after the hell has ended, there will still be the fact that four innocent people are dead and several children will be without a parent.

America is becoming unglued right before our eyes!