Man sought over US police murders
A man with an extensive criminal past whose 95-year prison sentence was commuted nearly a decade ago was sought after four police officers were gunned down in a coffee shop.
Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said Maurice Clemmons, 37, was one of several people Washington investigators wanted to talk to as a "person of interest", but he could not be called a suspect at this stage.
The sheriff's office said Clemmons had a long violent criminal history from Arkansas, including aggravated robbery and theft.
He was recently arrested and charged in Pierce County for third-degree assault on a police officer. The four murdered officers were with the 100-member police department of Lakewood, which adjoins the unincorporated area of Parkland, where the shootings took place.
They were Sgt Mark Renninger, 39, Ronald Owens, 37, Tina Griswold, 40, and Greg Richards 42. Troyer said one of those officers fought with the gunman and may have wounded him before the officer died just outside the doorway.
Mr Troyer said investigators believe two of the officers were shot dead while sitting in the shop and a third after standing up. The fourth officer apparently struggled with the gunman out the doorway and "gave up a good fight", firing a few shots before he was either shot there or died from earlier wounds. "We believe there was a struggle, a commotion, a fight ... that he fought the guy all the way out the door," Mr Troyer said.
Mr Troyer said the gunman entered the coffee house and walked up to the counter as if to place an order. He then turned and opened fire on the officers as they sat working on their laptops. Mr Troyer said the attack was clearly targeted at the officers. "This was more of an execution. Walk in with the specific mindset to shoot police officers," he said.
The officers were catching up on paperwork at the beginning of their shifts when they were attacked. "There were marked patrol cars outside and they were all in uniform," Mr Troyer said.
A motorcade of dozens of police cars and motorcycles with lights flashing later escorted the bodies of the four officers from the crime scene to the Pierce County medical examiner's office in Tacoma. The motorcade rolled under a giant American flag hanging from fire engine ladders. Washington governor Chris Gregoire said she was "shocked and horrified" by the killings.
