June 17, 2010 in Region

5-year sentence in Lakewood officers shooting

Associated Press
 
Tags:aggravated murdercriminal assistanceDarcus AllenLakewoodlakewood policeLakewood police shootingsLaTanya ClemmonsMaurice ClemmonsStephanie Arend
Previous coverage
Read more about the shootings and related charges.

TACOMA, Wash. — A woman convicted of rendering criminal assistance in the shooting deaths of four Lakewood, Wash., police officers was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison.

Pierce County Deputy Prosecutor Kevin McCann had asked for a 10-year sentence for LaTanya Clemmons.

Judge Stephanie Arend ruled that five years is the maximum she could give under sentencing guidelines and jury findings.

The 34-year-old Clemmons, who was convicted last Thursday, is the sister of Maurice Clemmons who gunned down the officers in November at a Parkland coffee shop. He was killed two days later by a Seattle police officer.

She paid for a motel room and bus fare for Darcus Allen, the alleged getaway driver. He’s awaiting trial on aggravated murder charges.

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10 comments on this story so far. Add yours!

  • spokanada on June 17 at 11:03 a.m.

    wow, seems kind of harsh considering the officers that murdered Otto Zehm weren’t even charged.

    So the sister gave money to the get away driver who aided the shooter. Seems like a stretch to link her directly to crime.

  • SpokaneLiberal on June 17 at 11:09 a.m.

    I think we might agree on some things spokanada but this is certainly not one of them. She knew what they had done and provided aid. No remorse, and it wasn’t what she could have gotten. 5 years is a nice number.

  • west on June 17 at 12:13 p.m.

    Cool!

  • JayNW on June 17 at 12:20 p.m.

    not everything needs to be compared to Otto Zehm- especially not the Lakewood officer killings.

    She didn’t get convicted for helping in the murders, she got convicted of helping AFTER, which is why she was charged with rendering criminal assistance. If they had any evidence that she participated in the actual murders, she would be charged as an accomplis to murder- just like the Allen guy is.

  • spokanada on June 17 at 12:24 p.m.

    I’m just saying that there is a percieved double standard. The comparasin to Otto is a stretch but a cop murdered someone and it was covered up by several police officers on the scene. No-one was ever charged until the feds got involved.

  • BitofBacon on June 17 at 12:32 p.m.

    That pesky thing known as probable cause just keeps getting in the way.

  • PlanB on June 17 at 1:55 p.m.

    Good to see that justice was served in this case.

    Spokanada, I understand exactly where you are coming from. When a horrible tragedy is perpetrated against law enforcement, justice is swift and unconditional (as it should be). But if the victim is say, a disabled janitor and the perpetrator is law enforcement, you’re going to wait forever.

  • horse_feathers on June 17 at 2:07 p.m.

    Justice delayed is justice denied

  • JayNW on June 17 at 3:24 p.m.

    but this case has nothing to do with Zehm, and I am not defedending SPD On that.

    Everytime a crime is reported, good or bad, you have people commenting “BUT BUT no Justice for Zehm”

    We get it already, everyone around here knows about Zehm- just saying, stay on topic-

    There are many unsolved homicides on police officers around this country, there are many unsolved/unprosecuted homicides of thousands of people across this country. There are some bad cops, but the vast majority are good. You can’t compare everything to everything all the time, you can’t say every cop is bad b/c of what a few do. Its no different than someone hating black people b/c a few are criminals- we call them racists- but its no different to judge millions of cops by the actions of a few. In reality, it cheapens the arguement you are trying to win.

    and the waiting game on the Zehm trial is now due to the federal prosecutors. So if you want to be mad at someone, be mad at them.

  • lewis8457 on June 17 at 5:32 p.m.

    We are not mad at the federal prosecutors heck they were the only ones of authority who gave a damn about Otto. None of the low lifes we have running this city or the police cared.

    Until we see some sort of accountability for police actions in this town some of us will always bring Otto up when something like this is reported. A sister helps her brother and gets 5 years.

    But 7 officers murder and man in a store and keep their high paying jobs by lieing to investigators and that is OK.

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