In what can only be described as a shocking and horrific tragedy, four police officers, three men and a woman, were killed on a quiet Sunday morning in the Forza Coffee Shop in Parkwood, Washington. Police are calling the cop killings a “targeted, selected ambush” and they are looking for Maurice Clemmons, a person of interest. Read more below, see photos of the slain police officers, and a video.




Lakewood Police Officers Killed





A gunman burst into a coffee shop in Lakewood, Washington (sometimes called Parkland, Washington) which is about 40 miles south of Seattle, and opened fire on the four officers — three men and a woman — as they worked on laptops at the beginning of their morning shift. The officers killed in cold blood were identified as Sergeant Mark Renninger, Officer Ronald Owen, Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Greg Richards. The Lakewood Police Shooting has rocked the Lakewood Police Department in Pierce County, Washington as well as this close-knit community.

An aggressive manhunt is underway for “a person of interest” - a man identified as Maurice Clemmons, age 37 years old - in the Lakewood Police Shooting, also known as Parkland, Washington shooting. According to police, they suspect that the attacker may haven been injured when one of the officers struggled out the door and fired his gun at the attacker before dying. All hospitals are being checked for patients coming in with gunshot wounds.

The person of interest in this ambush, Maurice Clemmons, is currently under the state supervision of Department of Corrections with an extensive criminal past that includes a long history of violence. Michelle Malkin has a lot more on his history.

Maurice Clemmons had received a 60-year prison sentence in Arkansas in 1990 when he was 18 for burglary and theft of property. At the time of that sentencing, he was already a habitual offender serving 48 years for five felonies. And then guess what happened? Then Governor Mike Huckabee of Arkansas commuted his 95-year sentence in 2000, citing Clemmons’ “young age”. I wonder what Huckabee is thinking tonight? Well, to avoid a “Willie Horton” moment, we don’t have to wait long — he’s released a statement on his PAC website.

Over the years, Clemmons has had multiple felony convictions in Arkansas and Washington, but has been repeatedly released, sometimes over objections of prosecutors who put him behind bars. This time around, Clemmons had been released just six days ago from jail, where he had been held for several months on a pending charge of second-degree rape of a child and assault on a police officer.

It is unknown if Clemmons is responsible for the Lakewood shooting. He is only a person of interest at this time according to Lakewood Police and the Pierce County Sheriff.

The officers the Lakewood shooter ambushed were Sergeant Mark Renninger, and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold, and Greg Richards. They were in full uniform and wearing bulletproof vests. The officers, part of the city’s 100-member police force, had been with the department since it was organized five years ago. Here is a wee bit more about the officers who were killed:

Sergeant Mark Renninger was 39 years old and had 13 years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Officer Ronald Owen was 37 and had 12 years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by his former wife and a daughter.

Officer Tina Griswold was 40 with 14 years of law enforcement experience. She is survived by her husband and two children.

Officer Greg Richards was 42 and had eight years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by his wife and three children.

We at Right Pundits are remembering their families tonight. We have great hope that the person of interest, Maurice Clemmons, can be found soon. You can see amazing photos from the scene and the memorials in Lakewood, Washington by going here and watch a video of the coverage of the Lakewood Police Shooting: Lakewood Police Department Pierce County, Washington below.