Parkland, Washington – Four Lakewood Police officers were shot to death in a Lakewood area coffee shop at about 8:15 a.m. in an apparent targeted “execution” by a scruffy looking man who walked into the coffee shop and opened fire.
The four officers, three men and one woman, were found dead by deputies who arrived at Forza Coffee at 11401 Steele Street South.. The officers made up one patrol unit, including a sergeant.
The officers were in uniform, including bulletproof vests, and were working on their laptop computers as they prepared to start their day shifts. It is unclear if they drew their guns and fired their weapons, he said.
Police were looking for a “person of interest” – a Parkland man in his 30s, sources told the Seattle Times. There may have been a driver who helped the suspect get away, and police had a description of the possible driver.
The gunman was described as a black man in his 20s or 30s, between 5-feet-7 inches and 5-feet-10-inches, who fled the scene. He was wearing a black coat over a gray hooded sweatshirt and blue jeans.
KING-TV reported that police had taken a man into custody after an assault team surrounded a house on 133rd Street South. The person was seen being taken away in handcuffs after coming out of the house without incident. It is unclear if the man is a witness or suspect.
Police seized a white pickup truck parked in a nearby parking lot and took it away on a flatbed truck. Detectives were preparing search warrants for multiple locations.
Meanwhile, Special Agent Robbie Burroughs of the Seattle FBI field office said Sunday morning that [FBI] special agents from the Seattle field office are already on the scene of the shooting and assisting in the investigation.
The four Lakewood officers have not yet been identified pending notification of their families. The Pierce County Sheriff’s Office is leading the investigation.
Additional news reports stated that between 8:00a.m. and 8:30 a.m. two men, walked into the Forza coffee shop and opened fire on the officers killing all four. The men are described as one white male and one African American male.
The FBI would not comment on the specifics of their involvement in the investigation.
It is not known if the officers who were murdered Sunday were part of a drug or gang investigation in the area, or why they were targeted for murder. The local sheriff’s office stated on King 5 News that the shooting was an ambush and not a robbery. They added that marked police cars were in the parking lot outside of the coffee shop, in plain view of the killers.
Gov. Chris Gregoire issued the following statement on the shooting of four Pierce County police officers:
I am shocked and horrified at the murder of four police officers this morning in Pierce County.
Our police put their lives on the line every day, and tragedies like this remind us of the risks they continually take to keep our communities safe. My heart goes out to the family, friends and co-workers of these officers, as well as the entire law enforcement community.
I offer whatever support is needed to the Pierce County Sheriff in their search for the perpetrator of this terrible crime.
(Source: Seattle Times / KIRO TV)
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27 Responses
Lakewood? Why does this article say (three times) that the officers are from Lakewood?
Yankya –
That’s because the article is telling you the name of the town that they were police officers in. And that was the town of Lakewood!
Lakewood? You ask! I thought this happened in Washington state?
Well, son, you need to get out more.
because they were from Lakewood, Washington (State)
Because the area is Lakewood. Lakewood, Washington.
There is a city named Lakewood in Washington.
no. there is only one lakewood. the rest are cheap imitations.
since it happened in Lakewood, the article qualifies for the Yeshiva World
There is also Lakewood, CO
Why is the gunman being described as black. isn’t that racial profiling? Just say he was from the human race…
Tzadikel, they have to say if he was black, white or Hispanic, because they’re asking for the public’s help in catching this maniac, and it’s got nothing to do with racial profiling.
All of you, most of all #7 is an ignoramus!
This is a tragic story!
Four officers killed in cold blood! The officers whom serve and protect US!
You an embarrassment to Jews around the world.
Not to mention that it’s a clear chazal which says “ain puranious ba’olam ela bishvil yisroel”. And no, I’m not translating it.
perhaps this tragedy happened because of the chillul hashem you have made here previously with you dumb asinine pompous remarks.
#6, I regret to inform you that Lakewood, NJ is still golus.
Just because you can’t bear to creep out of your daled amos doesn’t mean this isn’t a tragedy.
wanderingchana,
This is truly a tragedy; a horrific one. I don’t think anyone on this site think otherwise.
Another type of tragedy is when individuals attack and lash out at others in some misguided belief that they are are more righteous than others. “Dumb, asinine, pompous” and “creep out of your daled amos” bespeaks a tremendous lack of Middot Tovot. While you’re very busy shaking your finger at others, note that three of your fingers are pointed at yourself.
courtesy of Wikipedia:
Lakewood may refer to: (by state then city)
in Alabama
Lakewood Historic District (Birmingham, Alabama), listed on the NRHP in Alabama
in Arkansas
Lakewood Park (North Little Rock, Arkansas), listed on the NRHP in Arkansas
in California
Lakewood, California, a city in Los Angeles County
Lakewood Park, California, a place in Los Angeles County
in Colorado
Lakewood, Colorado, a city in Jefferson County
in Florida
Lakewood Park, Florida, a census-designated place in St. Lucie County
in Georgia
Lakewood Heights Historic District (Atlanta, Georgia), listed on the NRHP in Georgia
Lakewood/Fort McPherson (MARTA station), a passenger rail station located in Atlanta, Georgia
in Illinois
Lakewood, Illinois, a village in McHenry County
Lakewood Shores, Illinois, a census-designated place in Will County
Lakewood Balmoral Historic District, Chicago, IL, listed on the NRHP in Illinois
in Louisiana
Lakewood, New Orleans, Louisiana
Lakewood Club, Michigan, a village in Muskegon County
Lakewood (St. Joseph, Louisiana), listed on the NRHP in Louisiana
in Michigan
Lakewood, Michigan
in Minnesota
Lakewood Township, Lake of the Woods County, Minnesota
Lakewood Township, St. Louis County, Minnesota
in New Jersey
Lakewood School District (New Jersey)
Lakewood Township, New Jersey, a township in Ocean County
Beth Medrash Govoha, also known as Lakewood Yeshiva
in New York
Lakewood, New York, a village in Chautauqua County
in Ohio
Lakewood, Ohio, a large city in Cuyahoga County, and part of the Greater Cleveland Metropolitan area
in South Carolina
Lakewood, South Carolina, a census-designated place in Sumter County
in Tennessee
Lakewood, Tennessee, a city in Davidson County
Lakewood Commercial District (Lakewood, Tennessee), listed on the NRHP in Tennessee
in Texas
Lakewood, Dallas, Texas, a neighborhood in East Dallas
Lakewood, Houston, Texas, a neighborhood
Lakewood Village, Texas, a city in Denton County
in Washington
Lakewood, Washington, a city in Pierce County
North Lakewood, Washington, a community in Snohomish County
Lakewood School District (Washington)
in Wisconsin
Lakewood, Wisconsin, a city in Oconto County
Who knows, some of them may even have a Chabad!
Anonymous:
Are you aware that someone using your username (#11) called #7 an ignoramus?
I’m sure you didn’t mean to do that.
My deepest apologies for offending you.
wanderingchana,
Anonymous is used for any poster who initially registered in the Cofee Room. There are many and varied commentors with the designation Anonymous, just to make things interesting.
And no, you didn’t offend me; your words weren’t directed at me. Frankly, you only offend yourself when you hurl insults at others.
Don’t forget to make sure to protect the “suspects” rights
#13 Your post makes a lot of sense. People are always attacking other people on this web site and in life in general. What a tragedy. No wonder we are in such a horrible situation.
#12 Wanderingchana – I really think #6 was just joking.I’m sure she doesn’t really think Lakewood NJ is the only Lakewood and the others imitations. Please, if you believe that she was serious, you have more problems than just your anger, because then you have the nerve to post another comment (#15) complaing about what someone else wrote. You sound like a child “tattling” on someone.
Now I’m beginning to sound like everyone else, bickering with the posters here.
We need some Ahavas Yisroel and we need it FAST.
#11, chill out. Someone made a stupid remark and he answered in kind.
#9, for your information calling someone a human being is also racial profiling if you belong to a different species, like animals or maybe fish. They should have just written that “something” shot those police officers.
wanderingchana: lakewood NJ has a chabad house and a yeshiva!
To Anonymous #11: Your comment is way off base. Of course this incident is a tragedy. But tragic events occur every day throughout the country and around the world.
BUT, this is “YESHIVA WORLD” news. So the question is: why is this story being reported here? Answer: someone picked up on the words “the four Lakewood officers” and assumed that it meant Lakewood, New Jersey — which *would* be of interest to the “yeshiva world” (for obvious reasons). But this person obviously didn’t even bother to read the article before publishing it here on YWN. Tragedy yes…but having absolutely no connection to any news concerning the “Yeshiva World.” Get it?
Sam Rose #20 Thanks for the good laugh.
and lenco49 #22 You said it well!
To lenco49:
One of the benefits of YWN is that it also reports on things of interest to the “Yeshiva World” and not just things that happen *in* the “Yeshiva World.” Its provide a great filter from the naarishkeit of the main stream media.
YWN: Keep up the good work.
To all:
The important thing is that four Police Officers were ambushed and killed. Nine children have lost a parent and three people lost a spouse. It’s a tragedy on many levels. None of our communities is immune and all of us owe a debt of gratitude to the men and women who serve and protect.
To Shlomo2 (comment #24):
Your point that YWN “also reports on things of interest to the “Yeshiva World” and not just things that happen *in* the ‘Yeshiva World’” is well taken.
But you also wrote that YWN “provides a great filter from the naarishkeit of the main stream media.”
As would be expected, this story has been reported all over “the main stream media” (as you call it), so YWN filtered nothing. Hundreds of tragedies occur daily in the world, and we have the likes of AOL news, CNN, the NY Times online (etc. etc. ad nauseum) to report the biggest stories. As most people do NOT come to YWN for these types of non-Jewish news stories, we didn’t need to hear about it from them.
This being so, my main point is that I believe this was a case of *lazy* journalism. As I mentioned, my best guess is that a YWN editor picked up the words “Lakewood officers” from the news wires, myopically assumed that it meant ‘our’ Lakewood, i.e. New Jersey [thus the sarcasm from others in this thread that, “yes Reb Yid, there actually are other Lakewoods in the world”…who’d of thunk it? ;-)] and so posted the story without bothering to read it.
All you people….. just remember the only reason people post these stupid comments is cause there bored so why not make it interesting!!!!!!!! of course its sad!!!
And BTW #25 they reported Lakewood CAUSE THATS WERE IT HAPPENED!!! Whats your deal?!
Sometimes we cant see the forest for the trees. It is tragically laughable that so many posts could not get over the “Lakewood” thing. Four officers of the law were shot and killed. This is certainly something to feel bad about and to think about what it means.