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Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Crime Seattle Police Describe the Clemmons Shooting

Posted by on Tue, Dec 1, 2009 at 2:02 PM

On their blog:

At approximately 2:43 a.m. today, a uniformed patrol officer came upon a suspicious vehicle in the 4400 block of South Kenyon Street. The vehicle, an Acura Integra, was unoccupied. The engine was running and the hood was up. The officer stopped to investigate further and discovered that the Acura was a stolen vehicle.

The officer began doing the stolen vehicle recovery paperwork when something caught his attention. The officer turned around and noticed a subject walking in the street behind his patrol car, approaching on the driver’s side. The officer got out of his car and ordered the subject to stop and show his hands. The officer immediately recognized the subject as Maurice Clemmons, the suspect wanted in the murder of four Lakewood police officers. The suspect refused to comply with the officer’s commands.

As the officer was drawing his gun the suspect reached into his waist area and moved. The officer fired several times striking the suspect at least twice. The suspect went down near some bushes on the north side of the street. Shortly thereafter he was taken into custody. Seattle Fire Department medics responded and pronounced the suspect dead at the scene.

 

Comments (12) RSS

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Max Solomon 1
it almost sounds like clemmons had a trap set. i can't figure why he didn't approach the cop car with his gun out, but i'm glad he didn't.

Posted by Max Solomon on December 1, 2009 at 2:06 PM
Cato the Younger Younger 2
How close was the officer? Dark outside and "immediately recognized the subject"? I kinda wish they had a distance; if he was right up near the car I could see the recognition but if it was aways away....

Just a question.

Posted by Cato the Younger Younger on December 1, 2009 at 2:07 PM
derrickito 3
hes dead. good.
Posted by derrickito on December 1, 2009 at 2:10 PM
laterite 4
My guess is the recognition came from the way Clemmons was likely carrying himself. Gut-shot people probably don't move around the way a normal person might.
Posted by laterite on December 1, 2009 at 2:13 PM
Julie in Eugene 5
@4 That's a good point. Since I am absolutely terrible at recognizing faces, there's no way that I would have been able to recognize the guy and say, yep, that's definitely him. Which is why, I think, I was just a little uncomfortable with the officer having shot the guy without any confirmation that it was really him. Of course, if they guy went for a weapon and refused to obey orders, then it's sort of moot whether it was Clemmons or not, since the officer was in a threatening situation regardless. But, still... I'm glad it wasn't just a random thug running from a cop.
Posted by Julie in Eugene on December 1, 2009 at 2:24 PM
6
I'm currious what "Shortly thereafter he was taken into custody" means. Was the dead body cuffed and Mirandized? The police usually chose words carefully in their statements and I have to wonder what he is really saying.
Posted by wl on December 1, 2009 at 2:27 PM
7
I know I'll get flamed but he had a death wish. You just don't go shooting cops expecting to live to be an old man living in the tropics.
Posted by apres_moi on December 1, 2009 at 2:44 PM
8
@ 2, streetlights
Posted by steakhaus on December 1, 2009 at 3:01 PM
9
@7- Ready for your flaming: You are stating the obvious.

That was the most I could come up with.
Posted by dwight moody on December 1, 2009 at 3:05 PM
Will in Seattle 10
@6 - custody means they have the body. It doesn't mean it's alive - only a doctor can pronounce someone dead, not a cop.
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on December 1, 2009 at 3:23 PM
Will in Seattle 11
(or a judge, but that's a different thing)
Posted by Will in Seattle http://www.facebook.com/WillSeattle on December 1, 2009 at 4:05 PM
Greg 12
I wanted a trial, but I'll settle for no more murdering of cops.
Posted by Greg on December 1, 2009 at 9:29 PM

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