A Lakewood PD sergeant describes the memorials dedicated to his fallen colleagues a year after they were murdered by Maurice Clemmons at Forza Coffee.
The names of almost 19,000 law enforcement men and women have been added to the curving, 304-foot marble walls of the National Law Enforcement Officer's Memorial. The officers and families who knew them arrived at the memorial during National Police Week to pay tribute by leaving roses, photos, wreaths, a SWAT helmet, a duty flashlight, and other personel items.
The four Lakewood (Wash.) Police officers killed in a November ambush were among the 14 Washington officers given the state's Medal of Honor at a ceremony on the eve of National Police Week.
The families of the four police officers who were slain by Maurice Clemmons have backed away from a potential $182 million legal claim against Pierce County.
"I told him, 'You caught the suspect responsible for the worst police massacre in Washington state history. You need to take a deep breath and soak that in,'" recalled Rich O'Neill, president of the Seattle Police Officers Guild.
A six-person panel deliberating about Seattle police officer Benjamin Kelly's shooting of Lakewood cop killer Maurice Clemmons has returned a unanimous finding in favor of the officer on 18 of the 19 questions and neutral on the remaining one.
Two days after he was struck by a bullet from one of four officers he shot in a coffee shop ambush, Maurice Clemmons was struck by four of seven bullets fired by Seattle police officer Benjamin Kelly, who described the shooting at an inquest today.
These shooters didn't know the officers they killed; they just knew they were officers. All they saw in their sights were badges.
Impossible? Maybe. But zero deaths is our goal and mission that we must strive for each and every day we don the uniform and badge.
Ambush murders are perhaps the cruelest and most inexplicable of law enforcement deaths. Often, they are not a means to an end, but an end in and of itself, an event consciously orchestrated with no purpose other than the killing of an officer.
media brand
The secure and easy all-access connection to your content.
Bookmarked content can then be accessed anytime on all of your logged in devices!
Already a member? Log In