Suspect Identified In Killing Of Lakewood Officers

Authorities have named Maurice Clemmons a suspect in the killing of four Lakewood officers, and have issued an arrest warrant for him on four counts of first-degree murder, said Pierce County Sheriff's Detetive Ed Troyer.

Troyer told KIRO 7 that Clemmons has been upgraded from a "person of interest" to a "suspect" because investigators now have evidence he was wounded during the Sunday morning attack at a Parkland coffee shop.

He also said Clemmons was not found inside a home in Seattle's Leschi neighborhood that officers surrounded overnight.

Seattle police surrounded an area around 32nd and Yesler Sunday night, where officers believed Maurice Clemmons was dropped off bleeding from wounds, said KIRO 7 Eyewitness News reporter Amy Clancy. See video.

Police used a loudspeaker, explosions and gunfire early Monday morning to prod the man they thought was holed up in the house to give himself up.

Widely spaced, deliberate gunfire followed negotiators' use of loudspeakers and explosions.

Officers surrounding the house shone lights on the house and called out to Clemmons by name, saying: "Mr. Clemmons, I'd like to get you out of there safely. I can tell you this, we are not going away."

Any response from inside the house was inaudible from the vantage of a photographer for The Associated Press. But shortly thereafter, police began using sirens outside the house, and there were several loud bangs before the negotiator resumed speaking.

"This is one of the toughest decisions you'll make in your life, but you need to man up."

Seattle police spokesman Jeff Kappel earlier had said officers weren't sure Clemmons was even in the house.

Earlier, Clemmons was identified as the focus of a manhunt because evidence led police to believe that the 37-year-old was in the area of the Sunday shootings.

Clemmons has lengthy criminal history. Full story See video

Police sources say a car associated with Clemmons was located in the Parkland area, but Clemmons was not found.

Clemmons is described as 5 feet 8 inches tall, 235 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and a mole on his left cheek.

The police officers were shot dead in a Pierce County coffee shop in what a sheriff's spokesman described as a "flat-out ambush" Sunday morning.

The officers -- three men and a woman from the Lakewood Police Department -- were sitting in the coffee shop with their computers, getting ready to begin their shifts when the gunman came in at about 8:15 a.m., fired on the officers and fled, said Troyer.

Lakewood police identified the officers as Ronald Owens, 37, Tina Griswold, 40, Greg Richards, 42, and 39-year-old Mark Renninger. Photos Of Slain Lakewood Police Officers Donate To Officers' Families

SLIDESHOW: Images From Parkland Scene UNCUT: Attack 'Clearly Targeted At Police' UNCUT: Chopper 7 Over Shooting Scene WATCH IT: Disbelief, Sadness Surrounds Shootings

"It was just a flat-out ambush," Troyer said.

Troyer said the gunman entered the coffee house and walked up to the counter as if to place an order. The man then turned and opened fire on the officers.

Investigators believe two of the officers were shot dead while sitting in the shop, and a third was killed after standing up.

Authorities said the fourth Lakewood officer managed to fire shots at the gunman before that officer died just outside the doorway.

Troyer said if the gunman was hit, he would likely seek medical attention far from the area and claim the wound is from an accidental gunshot. Full story

He said investigators believe the officers were targeted, and it was not a robbery.

The Lakewood officers were in uniform, and their marked cars were parked in front of the shop.

"This was more of an execution. Walk in with the specific mindset to shoot police officers," Troyer said, adding that the gunman did not target the two employees or the three or four customers also in the shop.

4 Slain Lakewood Police Officers Slain Lakewood officers: Top Left: Ronald Owens, 37 Top Right: Mark Renninger, 39, Bottom Left: Greg Richards, 42, Bottom Right: Tina Griswold, 40. /2009/1130/21756112.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_640X361.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_160X90.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_240X135.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_180X102.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_300X169.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_80X45.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_120X68.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_200X113.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_60X34.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_320X181.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_90X51.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_400X226.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_40X23.jpg /2009/1130/21756112_480X271.jpg

"None of them were aimed at, shot or injured," he said.

Troyer said there's a $100,000 reward in the case.

He said the gunman is a black man, 5 feet 7 to 5 feet 10 inches tall, in his 20s or 30s, with scruffy facial hair. He was wearing a black coat and blue jeans. He ran from the scene and was last seen on Steele Street.

Police are stopping people in the area and following up on hundreds of tips in hopes that one will lead to a suspect.

Troyer said police are in the process of evaluating surveillance video from the coffee shop.

Anyone with tips should call 866-977-2362, a special line set up for this case. Pierce County has activated its Emergency Operations Center, and has people staffing the call center to take calls.

Troyer said investigators believe the gunman acted alone but that they are not ruling out the possibility there was another person involved. No one is in custody.

At one point a few hours after the shooting, officers were seen rushing to a scene. It turned out to be a hoax. Full story

There had been no threats against officers prior to the attack, Troyer said.

The shooting happened at the Forza Coffee shop at 11401 South Steele Street, near McChord Air Force Base.

Brad Carpenter, founder and owner of Forza Coffee, told The Associated Press that his staff was OK and being interviewed by police, and that his main concern was with the families of the police officers.

"I'm a retired police officer, so this really hits close to home for me," he said.

Roads were blocked around the attack.

Troyer estimated a couple hundred officers from the Washington State Patrol and multiple surrounding police agencies in the area are at the scene, with some coming on their own time.

Gov. Chris Gregoire issued a statement about the shooting, saying she is "shocked and horrified at the murder of four police officers" on Sunday.

Attorney General Rob McKenna issued a statement, saying the murders are an "outrageous act of violence against our brave protectors" and are "a direct assault on the safety of our entire community."

Lakewood Mayor Douglas Richardson and City Manager Andrew Neiditz also issued a statement, saying "we lost four of our finest in a shocking, heartbreaking, and senseless murder."

Brian D. Wurts, President of the Lakewood Police Independent Guild said the gunman was "a complete coward and threat upon all of society." Read statement

A motorcade escorted the four bodies of the slain officers to the Medical Examiner's Office Sunday as more than 200 people gathered outside a Tacoma church to honor the officers.

Holding small candles, the group sang "Amazing Grace" and were led in prayer by pastors from the Champions Centre, a nondenominational Christian church. Senior Pastor Kevin Gerald said the 30-minute gathering gave people a chance to show their grief at a time of tremendous crisis.

Last month, Seattle police officer Timothy Brenton was shot and killed Halloween night as he was sitting in a cruiser with trainee Britt Sweeney. Sweeney was grazed in the neck.

Asked about the Lakewood shooting on Sunday, Sweeney said, "My heart goes out to them right now." She declined to comment further during a brief phone interview with KIRO 7 Eyewitness News anchor Chris Egert.

Christopher Monfort, 41, of Tukwila, was charged in the shooting. Days after the shooting, Seattle detectives attempted to question Monfort at his residence. Police said that Monfort then ran from the detectives and tried to use a gun. The detective shot him.

Authorities also linked Monfort to the October firebombing of four police vehicles, with prosecutors saying Monfort waged a "one-man war" against law enforcement.

Monfort remains hospitalized.