The threat of ambush is ever-present. There is a growing war on cops in America, and the probability of being the victim of such an attack is increasing. Be vigilant, always.
On Thursday, community members in Lakewood, WA, marked the nine-year anniversary of the ambush murder of four of their police officers—Officers Mark Renninger, Greg Richards, Tina Griswold, and Ronald Owens.
A man wearing body armor pointed a semi-auto rifle at two police officers in a California Starbucks, only to have the weapon malfunction before he fled and was shot by the officers nearby, police said Monday.
Statistically, GPS monitoring is promising. But that's little comfort to the families of four Lakewood, Wash., police officers killed by an ex-con who took off his GPS in a bid to ambush cops.
The sister of the man who killed four Lakewood (Wash.) Police officers and who helped her brother elude capture was released from prison early on Monday. LaTanya Clemmons served more than two years of a five-year sentence relating to the November 2009 manhunt.
A Lakewood (Wash.) Police officer allegedly embezzled about $150,000 intended for the families of the four officers killed in a coffeehouse shootout in 2009, spending some of the money on a Las Vegas trip and REI shopping spree.
On Saturday Nov. 29, 2009, Seattle patrol officer Benjamin Kelly learned about the murders of four Lakewood, Wash., officers. From the time he got up, Kelly kept tabs on the investigation's progress and by nightfall had learned that one Maurice Clemmons was the prime suspect.
Officer Ben Kelly of the Seattle Police Department was picked as NLEOMF's Officer of the Month (March 2010) for finding and engaging the man who murdered four Lakewood (Wash.) PD officers at a coffee shop. POLICE Editor David Griffith sat down with him during National Police Week in May.
The spike in duty deaths has occurred despite the many advancements in police training, equipment (particularly protective armor), and emergency medical trauma care. What does appear to be occurring is more and more criminals are showing an increasing willingness to engage police in armed confrontations.
One year after a gunman murdered four Lakewood (Wash.) PD officers at a Seattle-area coffeehouse, two memorials have been dedicated in their honor at the coffee shop and the police station. Watch this KING 5 News report on the station dedication.