The four officers, three men and a woman, have been identified as Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39; Ronald Owens, 37; Tina Griswold, 40; and Greg Richards 42. These four officers were a patrol squad which was made up of three officers and their sergeant.
Sergeant Mark Renninger (pictured above) had thirteen years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by a wife and three children. Officer Ronald Owen had twelve years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by a former wife and a daughter. Officer Tina Griswold had fourteen years of law enforcement experience. She is survived by her husband and two children. Officer Greg Richards had eight years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by a wife and three children.
The person of interest in the Lakewood police shooting is Maurice Clemmons, 37. Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer was quick to note that Clemmons was just one of several people authorities want to interview; he stated that Clemmons could not be called a suspect at this point.
Whether or not he is involved in the Lakewood police shooting, what is certain is that Maurice Clemmons has extensive criminal past. In 1989, Clemmons, then 17, was convicted in Little Rock, Arkansas for aggravated robbery. He was paroled in 2000 after then-Gov. Mike Huckabee commuted Clemmons' 95-year prison sentence, citing his age at the time of the crime.
In addition, Clemmons was recently arrested and charged in Pierce County in Washington state for third-degree assault on a police officer, and second-degree rape of a child. Huckabee had been criticized during his 2008 presidential run for the GOP nomination for the number of clemencies and commutations he had granted.
The Lakewood officers were in uniform in the Forza coffee shop, when their assailant entered and began shooting. Two of the officers were shot while still seated. A third was shot while attempting to rise to confront the gunman. The fourth officer fought with the gunman, exiting the building with him, and managed to fire his weapon several times before dying of his wounds. It is possible that the gunman was wounded, so Troyer has asked medical personnel to watch for any gunshot victims.
Two employees and a few other customers were in the shop during the attack. None were injured. The coffee shop was a known hangout for officers, even those outside their jurisdiction, as the Lakewood officers were.
The Lakewood police shooting case is believed to be unrelated to the Halloween night shooting of Seattle police officer Timothy Brenton. He was shot and killed Halloween night as he was sitting in a cruiser with trainee Britt Sweeney. Sweeney was grazed in the neck. Nevertheless, it is still an uncomfortable and horrific reminder of the dangers faced daily by police.
The biggest mystery in the Lakewood police shooting is motive. "We have no motive at all," Troyer said. "I don't think when we find out what it is, it will be anything that makes any sense or be worth it."
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