Maurice Clemmons killed by Seattle police

From The Seattle Time:

Maurice Clemmons, the suspect wanted in the slaying of four Lakewood police officers, was shot and killed in South Seattle early this morning by a Seattle police officer making a routine check of a stolen car.

The shooting occurred about the same time as Pierce County sheriff's detectives took into custody a man believed to have acted as a getaway driver in Sunday's slayings of the Lakewood officers. Police also booked four people into jail on suspicion of providing assistance to Clemmons, said sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer.

Several other people also will be taken into custody for helping Clemmons, Troyer said.

Clemmons, who was armed with a handgun taken from one of the officers he is accused of killing, was shot in the 4400 block of South Kenyon Street during a confrontation with a South Precinct patrol officer, police officials said. He refused commands to stop and was shot by the officer about 2:45 a.m., the officials said.

Troyer said Clemmons had an older wound to his stomach believed to be the result of a gunshot fired by one of the Lakewood officers killed Sunday. Troyer said he was surprised Clemmons survived that wound. MORE 

While the death of Clemmons ends the story of the manhunt for him, the story of how this guy slipped through the crack of both the Washington and Arkansas justice systems begins. We will no doubt learn of the various ways dangerous criminals fall though the cracks.  In the process keep in mind this administration’s decision to process dangerous mass murdering terrorist through the same imperfect system.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: The Seattle Times

Huck PAC releases a very weak statement on Clemmons

From Huck PAC: 

NOVEMBER 29, 2009 - 11:14 PM

STATEMENT REGARDING WASHINGTON STATE SLAYINGS

by Press Team

The senseless and savage execution of police officers in Washington State has saddened the nation, and early reports indicate that a person of interest is a repeat offender who once lived in Arkansas and was wanted on outstanding warrants here and in Washington State. The murder of any individual is a profound tragedy, but the murder of a police officer is the worst of all murders in that it is an assault on every citizen and the laws we live within.

Should he be found to be responsible for this horrible tragedy, it will be the result of a series of failures in the criminal justice system in both Arkansas and Washington State. He was recommended for and received a commutation of his original sentence from 1990, this commutation made him parole eligible and he was then paroled by the parole board once they determined he met the conditions at that time. He was arrested later for parole violation and taken back to prison to serve his full term, but prosecutors dropped the charges that would have held him. It appears that he has continued to have a string of criminal and psychotic behavior but was not kept incarcerated by either state. This is a horrible and tragic event and if found and convicted the offender should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law. Our thoughts and prayers are and should be with the families of those honorable, brave, and heroic police officers. 

This is weak. It seems to try to spread the blame all over the place. Huckabee commuted this guy’s sentence and that is why he was free to roam. It would be nice if Huck and company owned up to this fact.

If there is one thing the electorate is looking for today, it is integrity. That includes owning up to your mistakes, both big and small. This statement reeks of the same old Washington slip and slide when it comes to taking responsibility.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Huck PAC

Maurice Clemmons suspect in Tacoma Police Ambush granted clemency by Huckabee

From Michelle Malkin’s blog: 

A deadly ambush at a coffee shop near Tacoma, Washington on Sunday morning left four police officers dead. A vigil attended by an estimated 700 mourners and well-wishers was held Sunday night for the fallen at Champion’s Center church in Tacoma. Read about the lives, loves, and dedication to service of the fallen officers here.

The man being sought by police was granted clemency by former GOP Arkansas Mike Huckabee despite his violent history and vehement protestations from prosecutors and victims’ family members.

He was most recently in jail for alleged second-degree rape of a child. 

This looks like it's Michael Dukakis time for Mike Huckabee. I wonder if Huckabee had a heads up on this story? Perhaps that is why he told Fox News Sunday yesterday that he was “less than likely to run in 2012”. Clemmons will make a Huckabee 2012 run nearly impossible, especially when you look at Clemmons record, the man should never have seen the light of day. Just read what Clemmons is accused of at the tender age of 17.

From the Seattle Times: 

News accounts out of Arkansas offer a confusing — and, at times, conflicting — description of Clemmons' criminal history and prison time.

In 1990, Clemmons, then 18, was sentenced in Arkansas to 60 years in prison for burglary and theft of property, according to a news account in Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Newspaper stories describe a series of disturbing incidents involving Clemmons while he was being tried in Arkansas on various charges.

During one trial, Clemmons was shackled in leg irons and seated next to a uniformed officer. The presiding judge ordered the extra security because he felt Clemmons had threatened him, court records show.

Another time, Clemmons hid a hinge in his sock, and was accused of intending to use it as a weapon. Yet another time, Clemmons took a lock from a holding cell, and threw it toward the bailiff. He missed and instead hit Clemmons' mother, who had come to bring him street clothes, according to records and published reports.

On another occasion, Clemmons had reached for a guard's pistol during transport to the courtroom.

When Clemmons received the 60-year sentence, he was already serving 48 years on five felony convictions and facing up to 95 more years on charges of robbery, theft of property and possessing a handgun on school property. Records from Clemmons' sentencing described him as 5-foot-7 and 108 pounds. The crimes were committed when he was 17.

Clemmons served 11 years before being released.

News accounts say Huckabee commuted Clemmons' sentence, citing Clemmons' young age at the time the crimes were committed.

But Clemmons remained on parole — and soon after landed in trouble again. In March 2001, he was accused of violating his parole by committing aggravated robbery and theft, according to a story in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette.

He was returned to prison on a parole violation. But in what appears to have been a mistake, Clemmons was not actually served with the arrest warrants until leaving prison three years later. As a result, Clemmons' attorney argued that the charges should be dismissed because too much time had passed. Prosecutors dropped the charges.

It seems to me that there was much bungling going on in Arkansas. Not just will his getting clemency, but with properly recording Clemmons’ crimes and correctly identifying what a dangerous man he was.

Michelle Malkin puts the blame squarely on Huckabee. She details Huckabee’s history of granting clemency to violent criminals like Maurice Clemmons and Wayne Dumond.

Via: Memeorandum

Via: Michelle Malkin

Via: Seattle Times