December 1, 2009 in Region

Seattle police kill suspect in officer slayings

Associated Press
 
Elaine Thompson photo

Police fill a street where a man suspected of gunning down four police officers earlier in the week was shot and killed by a lone Seattle patrol officer Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2009, in Seattle. Four other people were arrested on suspicion of helping the suspect elude authorities during a two-day manhunt.
(Full-size photo)(All photos)

Dec. 8 memorial

A memorial service for the officers will be at 1 p.m. Dec. 8 at the Tacoma Dome.

E-mail lakewoodmemorialservice@gmail.com to make a donation or volunteer. Donations for the officers’ families are being accepted by the Lakewood Police Independent Guild Fund at P.O. Box 99579, Lakewood, WA, 98499 or www.lpig.us.

SEATTLE — A lone officer on patrol in the middle of the night Tuesday spotted a stolen car, its hood up and engine running, and pulled over to check it out. As the patrolman sat in his cruiser, a burly man with a large mole on his cheek came up from behind.

The officer turned, stepped outside and recognized the most wanted man in the Pacific Northwest — the ex-con accused of gunning down four cops at a coffee shop.

Moments later, Maurice Clemmons, 37, lay dead in the street, shot by the patrolman after Clemmons made a move for a gun he had taken from one of the slain officers, police said.

Clemmons’ death brought to an end two days of fear across the Seattle-Tacoma area and one of the biggest manhunts the region has ever seen. Dozens of police officers milled around at the scene afterward, some solemnly shaking hands and patting each other on the back.

“Good thing he wasn’t able to get the gun out here or we might have had a different ending to this whole thing,” Pierce County sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said. “The officer in Seattle did a good job of making sure he went home safe tonight.”

Clemmons eluded capture thanks to family and friends who provided him with shelter, cell phones, cash and first aid for the severe belly wound he suffered when one of the dying officers in Sunday’s coffee-shop rampage got off a shot, police said. Six to seven of those associates were being arrested Tuesday.

Among them, police said, was Darcus D. Allen, a convicted murderer who served in prison with Clemmons in Arkansas and allegedly drove the getaway truck after the coffee shop rampage; two men who later traveled with Clemmons as he eluded police; and Clemmons’ sister, who bandaged him up and gave him a lift part way to Seattle.

It wasn’t immediately known if she or Allen had attorneys; the other two have pleaded not guilty.

“Some are friends, some are acquaintances, some are partners in crime, some are relatives. Now they’re all partners in crime,” Troyer said.

Troyer said paramedics were stunned that Clemmons lived as long as he did with the bullet wound. It had been packed with gauze and patched with duct tape.

It was not clear exactly where Clemmons was while on the run. Police rushed from place to place, following tips that often came up empty or yielded only accomplices. They searched homes and apartments around the city and cordoned off a park after a report of blood in a restroom.

On Sunday, Clemmons briefly took refuge at a house in the city’s well-to-do Leschi neighborhood, slipping away before police surrounded the home in an all-night siege that ended when SWAT officers stormed the place and realized he wasn’t there.

Clemmons has a violent, erratic past, and authorities in Washington state and Arkansas — where then-Gov. Mike Huckabee in 2000 commuted his 108-year prison sentence for armed robbery and other offenses — are facing tough questions about why an apparently violent and deranged man was out on the street.

On Sunday, six days after posting bail in Washington on charges of raping a child, Clemmons walked into the coffee shop in suburban Tacoma and killed four uniformed Lakewood police officers as they caught up on paperwork on their laptops, police said.

“The only motive that we have is he decided he was going to go kill police officers,” Troyer said. Investigators also reported that Clemmons told others the night before the shooting that he was going to kill police and they should watch the news, but they wrote it off as “crazy-talk.”

In a statement posted on the conservative Newsmax.com Web site, Huckabee said: “I take full responsibility for my actions of nine years ago. I acted on the facts presented to me in 2000. If I could have possibly known what Clemmons would do nine years later, I obviously would have made a different decision. But if the same file was presented to me today, I would have likely made the same decision.”

The Seattle patrol officer who killed Clemmons, Benjamin L. Kelly, 39, a seven-year law enforcement veteran, will be placed on leave, which is standard procedure after a shooting.

The officer was driving in a working-class neighborhood of south Seattle at about 2:45 a.m. when he came across a stolen car, its engine running, Assistant Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel said.

As he sat in his cruiser, beginning paperwork on the car, he sensed movement, turned and saw someone approaching, Pugel said. The officer stepped out and immediately recognized the man, whose face had been all over TV and mugshot fliers memorized by every officer in the region.

The patrolman ordered Clemmons to freeze and show his hands, but he kept moving, and the officer fired several rounds, hitting the man at least twice, Pugel said.

Police said Clemmons would have died eventually of the gunshot wound he suffered in the coffee-shop rampage.

At the time of his arrest in Washington state earlier this year, investigators said Clemmons had visions that he was Jesus Christ and that the world was on the verge of the apocalypse. He also “told the officer President Obama and Lebron James are his brothers, Oprah (Winfrey) is his sister and referred to himself as ’the beast,”’ according to court papers obtained by the News Tribune of Tacoma.

A psychological evaluation in October found he was a risk to public safety, but not enough of one to justify committing him, the newspaper reported.

Seattletimes.com timeline of Lakewood shootings

© Copyright 2009 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

39 comments on this story so far. Add yours!
  • djdemetre on December 01 at 7:35 a.m.

    amen-i was afraid they would just arrest this guy.good work and thanks for cops like the one that shot and killed this loser!!

  • karl2002 on December 01 at 7:41 a.m.

    “He ordered the person to stop. He ordered the person to show his hands, that person would not show his hands, and also began to run away counter-clockwise around the vehicle.”

    The officer again told him to stop, and he wouldn’t comply, Pugel said.

    The officer then fired several rounds at Clemmons.

    It was unclear whether the man displayed a weapon before he was shot.

    –––––––

    Obviously the right guy with the right ending, but I sure hope he showed a weapon. Shooting an unarmed, fleeing suspect is not legal outside of Spokane.

  • Orange on December 01 at 8:05 a.m.

    klos, not a cool comment regarding the Spokane Police. Why do you hope he showed a weapon? He’s known to have one, he didn’t show his hands, he’s running away (counter clockwise around the car as they report) probably to seek cover to take down another officer. Given the circumstances, deadly force is authorized.

    Enough about klos’s shallowness.

    Back to the hot topics. Is the state of Arkansas and Huckabee going to be held responsible and liable? I believe they should be.
    Here’s another topic of discussion. How can a felon be released to a state where the crimes didn’t occur Arkansas should have managed his rehab through to his release date. Not the date Huckabee says, yes get him out of Arkansas, let someone elses taxes pay for his behavior.
    Washington State does the same thing, Someone who commits a crime in King County can request to be released in Spokane County. This leaves us with the clean up and usual reoffense.

  • jfer_76 on December 01 at 8:05 a.m.

    Clemmons killed in cold blood; he received the very least of what he deserved. I’m glad there weren’t other officers of the law killed trying to bring this killer in.

  • lewis8457 on December 01 at 8:16 a.m.

    Has it been proven he did the shooting? What happened to this mans day in court? Because he suspected of putting down a cop? So that gives the cops the OK to shoot t kill.

    If your name were spread all over the papers as being the shooter I would bet you would run like heck too.

    Someone kills 4 cops and the cops go crazy chasing the guy down. A man gets killed by cops in Spokane and the cops keep their jobs and never have to answer to the mans family.

    So let me get this straight I can be killed by the cops for no reason, and nothing happens to them but if I do the same I get gunned down in cold blood.

    Seattle can rest easy they got the guy, or did they?

  • calvinandhobbes on December 01 at 8:29 a.m.

    good thing that they got the guy. otherwise, he wouldn’t face real justice. he would just go to prison for 15 years.

  • SpokaneIsFun on December 01 at 8:49 a.m.

    Lewis, you are out of line.

    The police knew a lot more than the public did. They acted on info from the public, the witnesses at the scene and the physical evidence they knew at the time. They did their job. The criminal justice system failed in releasing this criminal from prison. The system again failed in the State of Washington in granting this criminal bail in his most recent crimes. His background should have been researched and prosecutors should have requested an increase in bail or no bail from the judge to insure the public’s safety. All these events are tragic as the killing of four police officers.

    The hero? The lone police officer in the middle of the night doing his job and accessing the situation he was in, using his common sense and police training took care of what the legal system couldn’t. This “hero” officer saved the taxpayers millions in prosecution, legal fees, and housing in prison.

  • Cheyennne on December 01 at 8:53 a.m.

    Back in the old days he would have been hung a long time ago, instead of pardoned by the Arkansas Governor. This is justice, good riddance.

  • maria on December 01 at 9:11 a.m.

    Oh, I think they got him, Lewis. He also had a gunshot wound in his tummy from the other day.

  • Griz on December 01 at 9:30 a.m.

    Lewis,

    Your comments and your picture are unfitting for a 1st CAV Division Trooper. You shoud be ashamed of yourself for such unprofessionalism. Assuming from your picture that you have actually served in the 1st CAV, then maybe you actually have some combat experience (hopefully!). If that were true then you know that the circumstances being what they were (armed killer, police officer in the line of office duty making a life-or-death decision) then it would be a justified killing. After all, there are many times when a Soldier has to make just the same decision in the combat theater, and in our case, we have to be 51% certain that OUR life was threatened by the other’s actions in order for it to be considered justified. Would you not grant our brother’s in service the same when their lives are threatened?
    Educate yourself before you make such presumptions and embarrass the Army even further. I do believe that the police were armed with a lot more information than you were about this criminal, and they are professionals at their job. You obvioiusly could to learn from them.
    By the way, take your picture down. The 21,000 honorable 1ST CAV Division Soldiers deserve better than what you display with both your thoughtless words and actions. You are lucky that you were not in my unit. BLACK KNIGHTS!

  • Diana on December 01 at 10:00 a.m.

    With the lack of details, there sure is a lot of vigilante/mob mentality here.

  • shanusmaximus on December 01 at 10:13 a.m.

    ^
    It does seem like a strange comment from a combat troop. Maybe someone hijacked his account…..

    @Lewis

    Waving a gun in front of the police usually is a bad idea…..I don’t know what else one would expect.
    This scumbag Clemmons was bragging to his friends before the shooting to watch T.V. because he was going to go out and whack some cops. So, I don’t know where you are getting the idea that they didn’t know it was him…….

  • shanusmaximus on December 01 at 10:18 a.m.

    @Diana

    Lack of details??? Just because you have lacked the details does not mean that they haven’t been disseminated…..

  • spokanada on December 01 at 10:21 a.m.

    Yeah Lewis, you are out of line. We don’t need to follow the 5th, 6th, and 14th amendments. The cops have every right to shoot whoever they want. Even if they are only armed with a pop bottle.

    I can’t believe the audacity to suggest that there be due process.

  • Fuschia on December 01 at 10:58 a.m.

    I see the uninformed “pack” mentality going after Lewis for expressing his opinion regarding the non-probable cause shooting of a citizen running counterclock wise around an alleged stolen car.

    I’m sure this will reduce the number of cars stolen in Seattle.

    Unfortunately Lewis is correct and the previous nattoring nabobs are just spouting off emotion and not cogitent thought. The law enforcement agent decided to 1) not call for back up 2) Stake the guy out 3) use his knowledge of the accused physical condition etc. etc. and most importantly decided to take the place of our Judicial System in carrying out the death sentence.

    So where is the threat to the cop’s life that would have precluded a real gunning down of an innocent until proven guilty car thief?

    Suppose the alleged car thief was not Clemmons? Its pretty bright out at 02:45 am. and of course we all know.. all black people look alike, all car thiefs are black people, and all black people do an OJ when confronted.

    Obviously there was more pressure to kill this guy, rather than to bring him to justice. Killing him outright certainly is more tidy than allowing the legal system do its function. So why dont we just toss away our legal system and give the cops the right to shoot/kill anyone, anytime for any reason? I’m sure Otto Zehm has an opinion on that.

  • Diana on December 01 at 11:56 a.m.

    shanusmaximus, the only details you know are what have been released and reported. I repeat… you don’t know all the details.

  • Orange on December 01 at 12:10 p.m.

    Wow, this thread went south. Given we are mobs and vigilante’s I’ll blame Diana for starting it. :)

  • MrNatural on December 01 at 12:29 p.m.

    Live Hard Die Fast…

    Not wanting to second guess, the truth will come out and I believe we will be alright with the end results….My deepest sympathies for the Officers and their families at this time…

  • lewis8457 on December 01 at 4:07 p.m.

    maybe we need to fire all the judges and just make the cops the courts right out on the street in the heat of the moment….bang your dead….case closed the tax payers save more money our government will steal.

    i feel safer………

  • shanusmaximus on December 01 at 5:09 p.m.

    ^
    Did you guys miss this part?

    “He refused commands to stop and was shot by the officer about 2:45 a.m., the officials said.” also….the officer knew the car was stolen and saw the man, Clemmons, who had been identified in the coffee shop shootings.
    If you refuse commands from an officer….you will get shot. I don’t know what is so difficult to understand.

    @Lewis

    I think you just have a problem with cops……nothing else.

    @Diana

    So what other details do you need? His favorite color? His mother’s maiden name? What are holding out for exactly? This piece of human ofal is dead….and in my book he deserved death well before shooting these officers. Child rapist……sick.

  • shanusmaximus on December 01 at 6:16 p.m.

    @spokanada

    “Yeah Lewis, you are out of line. We don’t need to follow the 5th, 6th, and 14th amendments. The cops have every right to shoot whoever they want. Even if they are only armed with a pop bottle.”

    Your comparison to the Otto Zehm case is rubbish. Not even the same kind of situation and guns were not involved. But hey, you got your cute jab into the police.

    @Fuschia

    “Unfortunately Lewis is correct and the previous nattoring nabobs are just spouting off emotion and not cogitent thought. The law enforcement agent decided to 1) not call for back up 2) Stake the guy out 3) use his knowledge of the accused physical condition etc. etc. and most importantly decided to take the place of our Judicial System in carrying out the death sentence.”

    LOL! You are the one that can’t read the details…..

    1} not call for back up
    He didn’t know it was Clemmons until he started approaching the patrol vehicle.
    “As the officer sat in his patrol car doing paperwork on the stolen car, he noticed a man was approaching the driver’s side of the patrol car from behind.”
    So at first he didn’t figure he had a reason to call for back-up.

    2} Stake the guy out
    What do you mean stake him out? Clemmons is the one that approached HIS vehicle.

    3} use his knowledge of the accused physical condition etc. etc.
    He already knew it was Clemmons….
    “The officer immediately recognized the man as matching the description of Clemmons and got out of his patrol car, Pugel said.”

    “Suppose the alleged car thief was not Clemmons? Its pretty bright out at 02:45 am. and of course we all know.. all black people look alike, all car thiefs are black people, and all black people do an OJ when confronted.”

    What the hell is wrong with you? Nice use of some racist stereotypes that you just tried to pass off onto others. Nobody has said such garbage…..but you did. Good job. You are now officially insane…..

  • elcee1987 on December 01 at 6:57 p.m.

    Well I for one am glad they found him so quickly. I’m glad the cop shot him instead of getting all “legal” and just arresting him. This is a man who has evaded authorities for his whole life, time to remove him from the living. I wish the same would happen to Joseph Duncan, the scumbag.

    I’m very proud of seattle police today, a statement I’ve not always stood by.

  • SpokaneIsFun on December 01 at 7:58 p.m.

    Lewis,

    I’m sure you would have made the perfect police officer, absorbing all the city and state laws, departmental procedures and then making perfect decisions all hours of the day and night. Plus I am positive you would have risked your life to protect and serve others knowing you might not ever see your family again.

    I would love to put you in that officer’s shoes when he encountered Maurice Clemmons in the middle of the night all by himself. I am sure you would have made us proud.

  • BitofBacon on December 01 at 8:53 p.m.

    Shanus-don’t bother spouting off proper police procedure to these folks, it always falls on deaf ears in these parts. Actually, I think Lewis would make a perfect judge in the 9th District of the Court of Appeals instead of a police officer.

  • questions on December 02 at 1:51 a.m.

    Hello ! We all live in the greatest country in the world. period.
    To all the people who are willing to express thier opinion, THANK YOU. This was a horrible and tragic situation and should never have happened. We all agree on that. I can understand the emotions, but not the calls for this guys execution. For the last two days all i have read on blogs have been calls for this guys execution. It seems apparent that the people out there in blog land knew this guy would be shot on sight- there was really no question that he wouldnt be. My question is — When you let your emotion overcome your intellect, then arent you bieng irrational? To all who applaud this criminals death, i understand. to all who who are horrified this guy was shot down in the streets like a dog, i understand. to all who are horrified that the officers were murdered, i understand. Lets not forget tho that this country was founded on the CONSTTUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA and as a veteran I am sworn to uphold that constitution, for everyone. We all have our right to our opinions, they may differ and clash; AND THATS O.K. Let’s stop bashing each other and hear some facts. Healthy debate is good, name calling and pointing fingers–not so good.

  • Lefty on December 02 at 2:21 a.m.

    Ok Huckabee screwed up, but who is the person that saw his record and did not lock him up again BUT gave him parole for raping a child? WTF?? Our system is messed up

  • questions on December 02 at 3:22 a.m.

    Lefty,
    He was out on bail for the charge. Not on parole.

  • questions on December 02 at 4:27 a.m.

    This is a sad, tragic event that could have been avoided, I think.
    Let’s see how many people are as outraged when otto zehm’s murderers are exonerated. Why no calls for that officers execution as all you “fair minded” individuals are applauding this mentally unstable man’s death? when an officer kills mentally handicapped otto its o.k., but when mentally deranged man shoots officers….

  • craigsinger on December 02 at 8:08 a.m.

    Too bad Duncan wasn’t handled the way this guy ended up

  • shanusmaximus on December 02 at 10:46 a.m.

    @questions

    “Let’s stop bashing each other and hear some facts. Healthy debate is good, name calling and pointing fingers–not so good.”

    Pollyanna.

    “My question is — When you let your emotion overcome your intellect, then arent you bieng irrational?”

    Of course. But here is my question….When you ignore the facts in front of you and wait for some other “facts” that will fit better into your world view, then aren’t you being irrational…no strike that….blind?

    “It seems apparent that the people out there in blog land knew this guy would be shot on sight- there was really no question that he wouldnt be.”

    Who cares what the blogosphere was saying? What does that have to do with ANYTHING? What…do you think this cop was surfing the blogs and decided, “Well, it seems that folks would want me to shoot this guy, Oh, there he is.” BANG BANG BANG.

    What facts are you people waiting for??? Tell me…really….are you waiting for the facts that this situation was actually WORSE than we all thought? Because I guarantee you that is what you are going to get.
    You know what? I am thinking you would rather had seen this cop shot. I think you people are sick in the head. You have ZERO emotion for the officers gunned down in cold blood and now it seems you are disappointed he didn’t get to whack another. You get in this cops shoes, you go out and do that job and wonder if you are going to go home that night. Then I want you to face a man, that you know FOR A FACT was the one that just gunned down four cops. Like he should have just let the guy go and called a lawyer.

    “This is a sad, tragic event that could have been avoided, I think.”

    See? You don’t give two squirts about the slain cops. You are more worried about the scumbag CHILD RAPIST COP KILLER!!! Yeah, it could have been avoided…when an officer tells you to get your hands in the air and get on the ground YOU DO IT! NO QUESTIONS ASKED! The reason for is for the suspects safety and the officers safety.

    “Why no calls for that officers execution as all you “fair minded” individuals are applauding this mentally unstable man’s death? when an officer kills mentally handicapped otto its o.k., but when mentally deranged man shoots officers….”

    Sir…I am sorry, but you have just won the Moronathon. You all keep bringing up the Zehm case as something that is equal to this situation. I want you to tell me LOGICALLY how these two incidents are similar to each other.

  • questions on December 02 at 5:43 p.m.

    Hey shanusmaximus- When i said sad tragic event I was talking about the cold blooded murder of the police officers….who really won the moronathon?

  • questions on December 02 at 5:50 p.m.

    why pollyanna? who did i call a name? the only comparisons to otto zehm were the fact that a mentally deranged man and an officer were involved. two different situations with very different results. oh, and the fact that everyone wanted this guy shot like a dog in the street, yet no one is calling for the officers who murdered otto zehm to be shot down like a rabid dog… thats all.
    I get to have my opinion..its different than yours…AND THATS O.K.

  • shanusmaximus on December 03 at 11:00 a.m.

    @questions

    “When i said sad tragic event I was talking about the cold blooded murder of the police officers….who really won the moronathon?”

    If that is indeed what you were talking about, it made no sense, since you didn’t say ONE WHIT about the officers being shot. You were talking about Clemmons being shot. So you still win.

    “why pollyanna? who did i call a name?”

    Why pollyanna? Do I really have to explain that to you?

    “the only comparisons to otto zehm were the fact that a mentally deranged man and an officer were involved.” two different situations with very different results. oh, and the fact that everyone wanted this guy shot like a dog in the street, yet no one is calling for the officers who murdered otto zehm to be shot down like a rabid dog… thats all.”

    You admit that it was “two different situations with very different results”. So stop trying to equate the two. Your only answer to my question was that Clemmons and Zehm were “mentally ill”. Excuse me, but Clemmons had a history of violence. Zehm did not. Not all mentally ill are created alike. And if he is mentally ill with tendencies to violence, what the hell is he doing wandering the streets?? Then you said, people weren’t calling for the officers death in the Zehm case. So what? Like you said, “they get to have their opinion and you get to have yours”…..but I guess that is NOT O.K.?

    Anyway, you are playing armchair policeman…you weren’t in that situation, you weren’t facing a known killer. So maybe you should check yourself. Stop having sympathy for the devil.

  • Ron_the_Cop on December 03 at 11:14 a.m.

    Here’s my two cents worth.

    Questions re the assassination of the four police officers
    http://friendsofmarkfuhrman.org/blog/?p=190

    As it relates to Otto Zehm which Lewis is concerned about check my comment out over at Community Comment. As for the shooting of Clemmons I have no heartburn. You don’t comply with order to show your hands I have no issues with this case.

    http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/commcomm/2009/dec/02/compassion-all/#c93815

  • lewis8457 on December 03 at 3:23 p.m.

    I am sorry my opinions make so many people mad.

    Any loss of life is a tragedy. The loss of 4 police offers is a tragedy. But I am not able to different the value of one or the other. All life to me is precious.

    I lost a friend 3 years ago, we know who killed him, but nothing can or will be done. So you see when I see what has happened in Seattle that there are lives that are worth more. I guess I get jealous that some lives are worth more then my friends life. And I get sad and mad at the same time.

    So it does come back to my friend because I lost my faith in my police I lost the belief that they are out there helping, I lost the innocence. I lost the respect.

    And now I realize I must bury my friend and just realize I live in a un-perfect world and move on.

    In Seattle people have shot officers two different times in last few months and neither one of the suspected shooters made it to jail. My friends shooters kept their jobs and my taxes help pay their 100 grand a year salaries, and you know there isn’t a damn thing I can do about it, not a damn thing!

    And with that I back away from this place where some lives are just worth more in our society. And so be it………..

  • shanusmaximus on December 03 at 6:50 p.m.

    @Lewis

    “But I am not able to different the value of one or the other. All life to me is precious.”

    Joseph Duncan’s life is precious to you?????

    “So it does come back to my friend because I lost my faith in my police I lost the belief that they are out there helping, I lost the innocence. I lost the respect.”

    I am sorry about your friend and I don’t know the details of that. But, it seems I was right it my assessment that you just don’t like the police. You have a bigotry towards them and you need to start dropping that and look at things on a case by case basis.
    Come on Lewis….if there is trouble, who ya gunna call? It won’t be Ghostbusters…

  • Bee509 on December 04 at 12:56 a.m.

    Seems to be a lot of “experts” on the justifcation of the shooting so I’ll just skirt around that and avoid being mauled by ol’ Mr. Shanusmaximus. Besides I’m more interested in who this guy Clemmons is connected to.
    They mention “family connections” but based on his record he doesn’t seem like much of a “family man”. I’ve noticed a few of high profile crimes in WA have been attributed to criminals originally from Arkansas, which I know had a staggering gang problem in the 90’s via Little Rock. I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s only shifted into some powerful organizations now known nationwide, think “Gangter Disciples of the midwest who pull some hefty rank in Seatte and “Black Mafia” of the east” so I don’t think The great state of Washington was just a dump point for the guy.
    Theres got to be some major affiliation somewhere. Also with so many willing partcipants in the crime it’s hard to imagine he just wanted to “kill some cops”. To whom is this guy a trigger man for; and why he targeted these officers is the more important question to me. Not why or how the shooting of the suspect itself was justified.

  • shanusmaximus on December 04 at 9:29 a.m.

    @Bees

    “Seems to be a lot of “experts” on the justifcation of the shooting so I’ll just skirt around that and avoid being mauled by ol’ Mr. Shanusmaximus.”

    You don’t need to be an expert. You just need to use your brain.

    “Theres got to be some major affiliation somewhere. Also with so many willing partcipants in the crime it’s hard to imagine he just wanted to “kill some cops”.”

    Well apparently he wanted to kill more than just cops. Here, let me help the Jokesman Review….

    http://www.theolympian.com/news/story/1057369.html

    from article…..

    “A witness told Pierce County sheriff’s detectives that Clemmons told friends and family gathered for Thanksgiving dinner at his aunt’s home in Pacific that he planned to kill “cops, children at a school” and “as many people as he could in an intersection,” according to an affidavit filed by prosecutors.”

    So to alllllllllll of you who wanted more facts….there they are. It is WORSE than we all thought.

    Gunning for schoolchildren and people in an intersection doesn’t seem to jive with your theory that this was a setup hit from a street gang. Now if you want to go the route of loyalty to a gang as a reason why they helped him…I certainly could see that. But really, that would be neither here nor there.

You must be logged in to post comments.
Please create a profile or log in here.