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December 6, 2010 in Region
Mixed verdicts for 4 accused of helping cop killer
TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A jury in Tacoma returned mixed verdicts today against four people accused of helping Maurice Clemmons after he gunned down four Lakewood police officers in a coffeeshop last year.
Two of the defendants — Clemmons’ aunt Letrecia Nelson and his cousin Eddie Davis — were found guilty of rendering criminal assistance and gun charges. Another, Doug Davis, was convicted of gun charges for handling a weapon taken from one of the slain officers, but not of helping Clemmons.
Clemmons’ half-brother, Rickey Hinton, was acquitted of all charges, and Judge Stephanie Arend signed an order authorizing his immediate release from jail.
Pierce County prosecutors alleged that the four provided medical aid, transportation and other help to Clemmons as he tried to evade a massive manhunt. Clemmons was killed by a lone Seattle patrolman two days after he shot Lakewood Sgt. Mark Renninger and officers Tina Griswold, Greg Richards and Ronald Owens on Nov. 29, 2009.
“The important thing is three of these four defendants have been held accountable,” prosecuting attorney Mark Lindquist said. “We’ll be asking for the maximum sentence on those defendants.”
Their sentencing was set for Jan. 14. Douglas Davis faces up to 25 years; Eddie Davis, 20 years; and Nelson, 15 years, Lindquist said.
Two others have already been convicted of helping Clemmons, and the man accused of driving him to and from the murder scene, Darcus Allen, is scheduled for trial next year on four counts of aggravated murder.
Hinton showed no emotion as the jury cleared him. He was accused of providing keys to a car used to drive Clemmons out of Tacoma after the shooting, deleting calls from Clemmons from his cell phone, and lying to police.
Douglas Davis was accused of helping to drive Clemmons out of Tacoma and providing other aid.
In the courtroom, Lakewood Police Chief Bret Farrar shook his head at Hinton’s acquittal but otherwise declined to comment. Griswold’s relatives also left without speaking to reporters.
© Copyright 2010 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Antsy toddler kicked off plane at Sea-Tac 
Bob_Knows on December 06 at 5:17 p.m.
Somebody should have pinned a medal on them.
lewis8457 on December 06 at 8:01 p.m.
while in Spokane and Spokane Valley the cops just keep shooting citizens with no end in site. And do the victims families see justice? Hell no that is only for slain cops.
misjustice on December 06 at 9:43 p.m.
Just what do you mean Bob? They were in the right for helping this man that killed 4 officers that were just sitting, having coffee & talking about starting their shifts?
Anyone that helped Clemmons should do a very long time in prison, and anyone that thinks Clemmons & those that aided him are hero’s should get their heads examined.
Nahzuul on December 06 at 10:25 p.m.
Well said, Gramma. Bob is either a troll, an irrational hater, or a criminal himself who has his reasons for hating those sworn to serve and protect.
@Lewis, do you have anything of substance to go with that whine? If an armed man rushes police, it isn’t for you, untrained and ignorant of violent situations and not there, to tell them that they should have tasered or wrestled him to the ground. Enjoy your nice safe cozy place on your couch made possible by your local men and women in blue. I’m not saying the police are perfect or that they don’t commit crimes too, but it’s impossible for anyone to do anything without a mistake from time to time. It’s called being human. Oh yeah, sitting there on your couch you won’t be making mistakes, except for taking cowardly shots at the police without providing anything to back it up.
lewis8457 on December 06 at 10:41 p.m.
Really Nahzuul did Otto Zehm rush the police? did Scott Creach? and so many others? No but they are dead by police anyway. and did their killers see a court room no on that one too.
How many dead will it take for you to see there is problem? 20, 30, 100 ? how many bodies will have to stack up before you cop supporters take your damn blinders off and see what the hell is going on.?
My opinion is never. Your too full of your self to see anything, instead of making your point you attack, the sign of ignorance or stupidity or both.
it is sad these 4 officers were gunned down but there has been 11+ citizens so far this year. Doesn’t life count for anything anymore??
lewis8457 on December 06 at 11:00 p.m.
Nahzuul get your rant right he didn’t rush the cops they rushed him.
If the report was he fired on police i would not have said a word there has been several times i have commended the police for a job well done when they WERE in danger. the last time was last year with the guy in the trailer park with a rifle. I don’t want a cop to get hurt or killed and on the other hand i don’t you or i to get hurt or killed is that so damn hard to figure out?
A man was beat to death by 7 officers for protecting his face with a pop bottle and those 7 officers are still on our payroll, a senior citizen who was teacher was arrested for felony endangerment because she would not drop a hammer on her new tile floor she later died due to stress of a felony conviction, a transient was murdered in a alley by cop we never found out why because he refused to speak to investigators suggested to him by our own chief Kirkpatrick he is still pulling a pay check as a cop, we had a man tasered to death because he was was going into convulsions, we had a young man jump off the bridge because the cops tried to show they cared by tasering him while his father watched, we had a pastor killed on his own land and the cop said several times the pastor never pointed his gun at him, we had a distraught man with a rock in his hand gunned down in the middle of the street, with all these deaths not one court hearing not one cop firing not one! But you want me to believe i am whining. I will tell you what i tell everyone else don’t read my posts see how easy that is?
And I promise I will never waste the time to read yours.