Maurice Clemmons, Alleged Cop Killer, Dead

Former British Prime Minister John Major poses for photographers as he arrives to give evidence to the Leveson inquiry at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London, Tuesday, June 12, 2012. The Leveson inquiry is Britain's media ethics probe that was set up in the wake of the scandal over phone hacking at Rupert Murdoch's News of the World, which was shut in July 2011 after it became clear that the tabloid had systematically broken the law. / AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis

Updated 6:41 p.m. EST

The man suspected of four police officers in a suburban coffee shop was shot and killed by a lone Seattle patrol officer investigating a stolen car early Tuesday, a sheriff's spokesman said. Four other people were arrested for allegedly helping the suspect elude authorities during a massive two-day manhunt.

Maurice Clemmons was carrying a handgun he took from one of the dead officers when a Seattle policeman recognized him near a stolen car in a working-class south Seattle neighborhood about 2:45 a.m., Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel said.

The vehicle was running but unoccupied when the officer pulled up, radioed in the license plate number and realized the car was stolen, Pugel said.

The officer saw something moving, got out of his car, saw Clemmons and ordered him to show his hands and stop.

"He wouldn't stop," Pugel said. "The officer fired several rounds."

"This is a tragedy," said interim Seattle Police Chief John Diaz. "Nobody feels good about any of this."

After shooting him dead, police found Clemmons had a gun belonging to one of the murdered officers and a serious gunshot wound from the coffee shop shootout, reports CBS News correspondent John Blackstone.

Investigators today began arresting more than a half dozen people they say helped Clemmons run and hide.

"They tried to hide him," said Pierce County Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer. "They supplied him with cell phones. They supplied him with money. … Some are friends, some are acquaintances, some are partners in crime, some are relatives. Now they're all partners in crime."

Three people were booked into the Pierce County Jail on Monday and early Tuesday for investigation of rendering criminal assistance on four counts of first-degree murder. They are Ricky Hinton, Eddie Lee Davis and Douglas Edward Davis. Troyer said a getaway driver also was arrested. That person's identity wasn't immediately known.

On Monday, officers detained a sister of Clemmons who they think treated the suspect's gunshot wound.

"We believe she drove him up to Seattle and bandaged him up," Troyer said.

Authorities say Clemmons, 37, singled out the Lakewood officers and spared employees and other customers at a coffee shop Sunday morning in Parkland, a Tacoma suburb about 35 miles south of Seattle. He then fled, but not before he was apparently shot in the torso by one of the dying officers.

"I'm surprised that he managed to get away," Troyer said. "The officer did a good job in Lakewood."

Killed were Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39, and Officers Ronald Owens, 37, Tina Griswold, 40, and Greg Richards, 42.

Their bodies were were moved to a funeral home in a grim procession today, Blackstone reports.

The officer who shot Clemmons was not injured, Pugel said.

Police said they aren't sure what prompted Clemmons to shoot the four officers, who were in uniform and working on paperwork at the coffee shop just two blocks outside their jurisdiction.

"The only motive that we have is he decided he was going to go kill police officers," Troyer said. He said Clemmons talked the night before the shooting about killing a group of cops and watching the news.

Clemmons was released on bail just a week ago even though a psychological report in October warned that he was dangerous, Blackstone reports. He told psychiatrists he had "visualizations of people drinking blood and people eating babies."

Police believe Clemmons chose the coffee shop because it was frequented by police officers from various agencies.

"We do not believe that the Lakewood officers were actually targeted other than that they were police officers in that location at the time where he knew he could find police officers."

Police surrounded a house in a Seattle neighborhood late Sunday following a tip Clemmons had been dropped off there. After an all-night siege, a SWAT team entered the home and . But police said Clemmons had been there.

(AP)

Police frantically chased leads on Monday, searching multiple spots in the Seattle and Tacoma area and at one point cordoning off a park where people thought they saw Clemmons. They found a handgun along with a pickup truck belonging to the suspect with blood stains inside, and alerted hospitals to be on the lookout for a man seeking treatment for gunshot wounds.

Authorities in two states were criticized amid revelations that Clemmons was allowed to walk the streets despite a teenage crime spree in Arkansas that landed him an 108-year prison sentence. He was released early after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted his sentence.

Huckabee cited Clemmons' youth in granting the request. But Clemmons quickly reverted to his criminal past, violated his parole and was returned to prison. He was released again in 2004.

"This guy should have never been on the street," said Brian D. Wurts, president of the police union in Lakewood. "Our elected officials need to find out why these people are out."

Conservative bloggers added to the criticism of Huckabee today, but Huckabee fought back today, saying, "people use anything for a political weapon."

Huckabee said on Fox News Channel's "The O'Reilly Factor" Monday night that Clemmons was allowed back on the street because prosecutors failed to file paperwork in time.

Pulaski County Prosecutor Larry Jegley, whose office opposed Clemmons' parole in 2000 and 2004, said Huckabee's comments were "red herrings."

"My word to Mr. Huckabee is man up and own what you did," Jegley said.

Clemmons was charged in Washington state earlier this year with assaulting a police officer and raping a child, and investigators in the sex case said he was motivated by visions that he was Jesus Christ and that the world was on the verge of the apocalypse.

A psychological evaluation conducted in October found he was a risk to public safety, but not a bad enough risk to justify committing him, The News Tribune of Tacoma reported.

The confidential report acquired by the newspaper was ordered by a Pierce County Superior Court judge to determine whether Clemmons was competent to stand trial on the rape and assault charges. He was found competent and was released from jail after posting bail with the assistance of Jail Sucks Bail Bonds.

At the time of his arrest, he allegedly made "religiously-themed comments, 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 the evaluation.

Among them, the slain officers left behind nine children. Many at a memorial to the slain officers didn't know those murdered personally and merely came to pay their respects, Blackstone reports. But at least one man came because he said officer Tina Griswold put him on the right track growing up.

"I was a bad apple but Ms. Griswold is one of the people that made sour apples good," said mourner Ralph Jackson.

[tiredofpolstate]

Boy, the gun grabbers are really having a heyday with this one. I'll start off by saying I am a natural skeptic especially when it comes to "establishment" explanations, especially when it comes from law enforcement organizations. I know I won't make many friends with what I say here and I'm not wanting to rub salt it Seattle's raw wounds. What I say needs to be said and if you are a fanatic gun controller you may as well quit reading now because you will be too closed minded and shallow to understand any of it anyway.
Consider a few facts in this case which the police themselves have given us. These were four seasoned officers, not rookies. They were highly skilled professionals trained in observation, highly tuned to gut feeling, and good at what they do. Perhaps too good as I will attempt to explain. The main witness to the massacre was a retired police officer. None of the "innocents" in the donuts shop were injured. In comes a crazy black man, one who is out of control and "evil-incarnate" as they want us to believe. He somehow got the drop on these seasoned, observant, pros and wasted them all, only allegedly suffering one wound in return. Three officers were shot dead before even getting away from the table. This has all the marks of a well planed, well executed assassination, all supposedly perpetrated by a violent crazy sex offender who thought he was God, and possibly a get-away driver. Two days later this same black man, still in the same general area and driving a car with stolen plates, was engaged and killed by a lone deputy in self-defense.
I admit this is all possible, but highly improbable. Let me offer another scenario, just as far-fetched. As I said maybe these officers were too good at what they did. Maybe they had knowledge of things that made them dangerous. Hell, I don't know, maybe they were four good cops in a bad department and had to be got rid of before the **** hit the fan. They were meeting, discussing how they were going to bring their shared knowledge to light without seriously compromising the citizens trust of law enforcement in Seattle. In walks a professional assassin. Someone well versed in the art of killing, maybe ex or current law enforcement. Swat, CIA, FBI, NSA, etc., someone who had done wet work before and was able to coldly and methodically perform as he or they were tasked to do. What better scapegoat then a lone crazy gun man who the public will naturally turn against based on his past. Shades of Lee Harvey Oswald, anyone?
I say the official explanation stinks to high heaven and the chances of one crazy black man are about the same as one crazy white man killing JFK.
I really hope I'm wrong, but we will never know will we? This case is already all wrapped up and topped with a great shining bow. Case closed. One thing I do know is this has nothing to do with gun control. Criminals will obtain them irregardless. If you think your rights are being hampered now, wait until the government takes away your guns and is no longer afraid of a free armed citizenry. The gun grabbers will be singing a different tune then.

[rustyautumn]

We're all vulnerable to random violence, accidents, or the other "bad things" in life. . . but how often do we try to find some way to explain away tragedy so that we feel less vulnerable.

Four officers (who weren't on duty yet) were having coffee, catching up on paperwork, in a place where they had no reason to anticipate a threat, seated at a table or a booth were ambushed. It would take seconds to realize what was happening and respond. When you're seated, it's harder to draw your weapon.

Is it easier to believe in a complex conspiracy than a simple, tragic act committed by a disturbed criminal?

I agree with "tiredofpolstate" one one thing . . .that criminals will always find guns. They don't generally purchase them through legal channels or register them.

Responsibility, respect, opportunity and accountability are the keys to reducing violence. . . .

[changefor09]

That is quite a conspiricy theory you have there. The four officers killed were sitting at a coffee shop before there shifts were to start getting ready to start their day, they weren't in the on guard mentality that is required while on duty. There were at least two eye witnesses, the barisstas that were working that morning. Maurice Clemons walked up to the counter, past the officers and acted like he was going to order some coffee, then open fired on the sitting officers. I don't think the city of lakewood has a corrupt police department that needed to clean up shop, I think this was a horrible incident that left these people dead. My heart goes out to the families of the fallen officers and two their fellow officers. It is said that this is the kind of world we live in today.

[mrbugs01]

Maurice Clemmons was a thug and loser from the time he was a child. We here in Western WA who knew the victims and live in the communities affected by the loss of four police officers are deeply saddened by this thug and his cohorts. They were all bad seeds hell bent on destroying that which is good in our society. Anyone who sympathizes with Clemmons, his family and his friends belongs in jail like the rest of those who called him friend and aided his crime. My son worked side by side with Tina Griswald. You couldn't ask for a better person, all the officers were good law abiding citizens who were here to protect and serve. Its just too bad the AK prision system failed to keep him locked up.

[o2bewealthy]

I have to disagree that Clemmons is a product of an abusive society. Yes, we have a long way to go before we reach Utopia, but there are plenty of people - Blacks, Whites, Latinos, etc. who come from a place of disadvantage who don't go on armed rampages against police officers. This man was mentally ill. If anything failed him, it's our floundering mental health system. It doesn't get enough funding. Why? The mentally ill don't have lobbyists in Washington, DC. Most mental hospitals have closed their doors. The state-funded ones that are left don't keep patients long term and their care is minimal. There have been a few widely publicised cases in the past year of neglected patients dying in the hallways of mental hospitals. There are few live-in supervised "homes" for the mentally ill and these are costly, so mentally ill individuals don't take their medication and spiral downward until something like this happens. Mental health isn't a big enough priority in this country, and so I am sending condolences to these officers' friends and families when I should be congratulating the state of Washington for keeping another violently insane person off the streets instead.

[joybook]

Clemmons wasn't born that way. He is the product of a very abusive society, country and governments who see him and all african americans as *******. The bigots who created him being who he is and was are the ones who killed those cops. And many of them are cops.

Basically, blacks grow up in an environment of terror where whites are the terrorists. Little has changed since April 4th of 68 and I am amazed this hasn't happened before now. I am not even amazed that he got so much assistance in evading police. Seems most blacks don't like "cops".

I wouldn't be surprised to discover that the cop that killed Clemmons was not in a life threatening situation and killed him for revenge. I have done a study on several law enforcement departments and agencies and found officers very abusive to anyone that cannot legally fight back. These include, blacks, disabled, mentally ill, children, poor, homeless, women, teen girls, transients and previously convicted felons who are obeying the law. I also found that officers tend to protect their own and will compromise an innocent person (victim) to do so.

While those dead officers may not have directly harassed Clemmons, they are part of a major group of people who do and did and they probably have knowledge of other officers that have commited rimes under the color of law and have protected them by staying silent.

POLICE HAVE AN UNSPOKEN CODE THAT THEY PROTECT THEIR OWN BEFORE THEY PROTECT ANYONE ELSE. And this code carries to other agencies, district attorneys and even FBI.

IF PEOPLE AND POLICE WANT TO PREVENT A REPEAT OF THIS (AND IT IS OBVIOUS THAT THIS WILL OCCUR AGAIN) THE POLICE WILL HAVE TO INVOKE VERY STRICT CONTROLS ON THEIR OWN WITH VERY EXTREME SANCTIONS. THE PEOPLE WILL HAVE TO DEMAND VERY STRICT CONTROLS BE IMPOSED ON THE POLICE.

When people (Blacks) are abused by police and other people with impunity, LIke they have for centuries, it creates monsters that want to hurt those who have hurt them.

BASICALLY, THE MAJORITY OF CITIZENS OF THE UNITED STATES ARE TERRORISTS and they create terror attacks upon themselves. I doubt the majority of citizens will ever change. They, for some reason, probably being abused as children, hate anyone that is different from them or that cannot fight back. The psychological defecit of the citizens of the US are such that they cannot change and so, what we have read will probably repeat. I don't see any more black riots in their own neighborhoods. I foresee black terrorism in the form of cop killings, random drive bys in white neighborhoods and eventually another civil war. All the components are there. Rage, Anger and economic struggles. the only thing missing is weapons and they seems to be available everywhere.

You can blame Clemmons all you want, but until the US changes how they treat blacks, the eventual results will be unacceptable. Wake up people, you cause this, not black people, not clemmons. He was jsut a product of our abusive society.

[rustyautumn]

by joybook December 2, 2009 10:19 PM EST
Clemmons wasn't born that way. He is the product of a very abusive society, country and governments who see him and all african americans as *******. The bigots who created him being who he is and was are the ones who killed those cops. And many of them are cops.

Basically, blacks grow up in an environment of terror where whites are the terrorists. Little has changed since April 4th of 68 and I am amazed this hasn't happened before now. I am not even amazed that he got so much assistance in evading police. Seems most blacks don't like "cops". . . You can blame Clemmons all you want, but until the US changes how they treat blacks, the eventual results will be unacceptable. Wake up people, you cause this, not black people, not clemmons. He was jsut a product of our abusive society.
______________________________________________________________________
At what point do the global excuses for individual behavior stop?

At what point do we begin having objective, fact-based discussions on a case-by-case basis instead of this overgeneralized rhetoric?

I don't believe that all blacks hate all police officers. . .and I think those kind of statements are offensive and disrespectful to the law-abiding, hard-working black men, women and families who ae trying to raise up children to be respectful, decent and contributing members of society.

I don't believe that all police officers are power-mongering racists or facists. Some are, but some are hard working, decent men and women trying to do their job to keep their communities safe.

Not all white people are bigoted, hating, oppressors. Some are, and some are hoodlums and criminals and antisocial lowlifes. . . same as any ethnic group.

Killing police officers is wrong, no matter who For those of you who justify this kind of violence, or think that it will bring positive change. . . when have you ever seen that kind of violence bring anything but more oppressive control?

Things are different now than they were in the 50's and 60's . . . perfect, No . . . but progress, Yes. Lay down the victim mindset. . . people (black, white, women, poor, etc.) are all mistreated at times. It's called Life. The "victim mindset" and resulting retaliation and revenge-motivated behavior does not bring about positive change.

[rustyautumn]

A mentally ill, violent man with religious delusions doesn't represent being a Christian any more than a mentally ill, volent person who thinks he's climbing a neighbor's fence to the moon is an astronaut!! Please!!

He was determined to be "dangerous" in a recent psych eval, but "not dangerous enough" to warrant involuntary commitment under Washington State's mental health commitment laws. Somebody might want to rethink that criteria. Most seriously mental ill people aren't criminals or violent, but the % that are need to be kept away from the public. Who was the psychiatrist or psychologist who made this judgement call on Clemmons?

[barbaram99]

They have the persons that helped him in lock up..The cop did not kill him in cold blood.. Thet man failed to to show his paws and ran..It was on the news here.

[executionere]

One down,
3.5 million to go,
Woot!

[Marcos989]

Judge Thomas J. Felnagle folks... remember the name. Also know, he reversed a previous Judge's order that Clemmons be held on NO BAIL for allegedly raping his niece (a child of 8)and battery on a L.E.O.
All residents of Washinton State, Pierce Co remove this judge from his position ASAP, legally of course.

[Croots1]

Glad he's gone, we probably should have done that a long time ago.

[RedWings_ninety_one]

I'm glad another one of these scumbags is off of the streets. Even if it was at the expense of his life. He was too dangerous to keep around.

[vertex55]

That was a cruel revenge of police and not a real justice. It's better to stay away from any armed person in uniform. (Just my opinion)

[ffoulkes-2009]

You were there and witnessed what happened?

[Marcos989]

yea, and I guess the police planted the bullet in his gut fired from the last Officer he murdered in cold blood.
vertex55, you are a disgrace, if you ever require the police please do us a favor Do Not Call or Accept Help.