Another Muslim Terrorists? Black Muslims Call Cop Killer "Martyr"

Maurice Clemmons, the alleged shooter in the Sunday murder of four Lakewood, Washington police officers, was killed early this morning by a Seattle police officer. The blogsite Fire Andrea Mitchell reported that a radical black Muslim group called National Black Foot Soldiers held a protest today outside the Parkland, Washington coffee shop where the murders occurred. The protesters allegedly gathered to celebrate Clemmons as a "Crowned BOW (Black on White) Martyr," calling his attack a "preemptive strike on terrorists..." The substance of this story was originally announced by a blog called the Last Crusade, which has also claimed that Clemmons converted to Islam while imprisoned in Arkansas. Gateway Pundit picked up the story as well, noting however, that Last Crusade's claim of Clemmons' conversion is unsubstantiated. A black militant site called "Black Male Felon" seemingly described the protest:

The rally came after a reported emergency meeting held by the [Black Foot Soldiers] movement to to map out plans for a street penitentiary protest and street party that will be held to disrespect tributes, memorials and funerals whites are expected to have for the terrorists.

Whatever the Black Foot Soldiers may be planning, there actually was no "rally." More...

Maurice Clemmons is Wanted in Police Shootings: Maurice Clemmons Sought in Police Killings: Maurice Clemmons Mike Huckabee Connection

Maurice Clemmons, an ex-con, is a person of interest in today's murders of four Lakewood police in Tacoma, Washington. Clemmons has an long criminal history and is believed to have been in the area where the shootings occurred. Clemmons was recently arrested and charged for assaulting a police officer in Washington state, as well as second-degree rape of a child. Unbelievably, the man was allowed to post a $150,000 bail. See Update 11-30-01 9:40 a.m. CDT.  11:00 a.m. - University of Washington being searched. Update 12-01-09: Clemmons is dead. Details below.

Maurice Clemmons

Clemmons, recently residing in Tacoma, Washington, is a violent man with a long criminal history in Arkansas, where then-Governor Mike Huckabee once communted a lengthy prison sentence.

In 1989, Clemmons, then 17, was convicted in Little Rock for aggravated robbery. He was paroled in 2000 after Huckabee commuted Clemmons' 95-year prison sentence. Huckabee, who was criticized during his run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2008 for granting many clemencies and commutations, cited Clemmons' youth. Clemmons later violated his parole, was returned to prison and released in 2004.

Larry Jegley, the prosecuting attorney for Arkansas' Pulaski Country said he had been dreading this day. This from the Seattle Times:

Clemmons' criminal history includes at least five felony convictions in Arkansas and at least eight felony charges in Washington. The record also stands out for the number of times he has been released from custody despite questions about the danger he posed.

Clemmons had been in jail in Pierce County for the past several months on a pending charge of second-degree rape of a child. He was released from custody just six days ago, even though was staring at seven additional felony charges in Washington state.

Clemmons posted $15,000 with a Chehalis company called Jail Sucks Bail Bonds. The bondsman, in turn, put up $150,000, securing Clemmons' release on the pending child-rape charge.

Clemmons lives in Tacoma, where he has run a landscaping and power-washing business out of his house, according to a police interview with his wife earlier this year.
He was married, but the relationship was tumultuous, with accounts of his unpredictable behavior leading to at least two confrontations with police earlier this year.

During the confrontation in May, Clemmons punched a sheriff's deputy in the face, according to court records. As part of that incident, he was charged with seven counts of assault and malicious mischief.

In another instance, Clemmons was accused of gathering his wife and young relatives around at 3 or 4 in the morning and having them all undress. He told them that families need to "be naked for at least 5 minutes on Sunday," a Pierce County sheriff's report says.

"The whole time Clemmons kept saying things like trust him, the world is going to end soon, and that he was Jesus," the report says.

As part of the child-rape investigation, the sheriff's office interviewed Clemmons' sister in May. She told them that "Maurice is not in his right mind and did not know how he could react when contacted by Law Enforcement," a sheriff's report says.

"She stated that he was saying that the secret service was coming to get him because he had written a letter to the President. She stated his behavior has become unpredictable and erratic. She suspects he is having a mental breakdown," the report says.

Deputies also interviewed other family members. They reported that Clemmons had been saying he could fly and that he expected President Obama to visit to "confirm that he is Messiah in the flesh."

Prosecutors in Pierce County were sufficiently concerned about Clemmons' mental health that they asked to have him evaluated at Western State Hospital. Earlier this month, on Nov. 6, a psychologist concluded that Clemmons was competent to stand trial on the child-rape and other felony charges, according to court records.

Clemmons moved Washington in 2004, after being released from prison in Arkansas, state Department of Corrections records indicate. That would mean he had gone five years or so before landing in serious trouble with authorities here, according to a review of his criminal record.

Clemmons started Sea-Wash Pressure Washing Landscaping with his wife, Nicole Smith, in October 2005. The license for the business expired last month.

Update 11-30-01 9:40 a.m.:

The Seattle Times led with a SWAT team surrounding a house in the Leschi home in Seattle last night, and a woman saying that Clemmons was on the property and bleeding. The article went on with no other explanation.

However, the UK's TimesOnline is quoting police saying, just one hour ago  that Clemmons has been shot and "well might be dead." A house is surrounded and they believe Clemmons is holed-up inside.

But as I write this, FOX is saying they thought they had him cornered and trapped inside his Aunt's house, but now they say he is not inside the house. He has a gunshot wound to his abdomen, and he is armed. Police say they know he was inside the house, but he is not there now.

Update 11-30-09 11:00 a.m. CDT:

There is evidence that Clemmons got off of a bus at the University of Washington. UW is being searched this moment and is under alert.

Update 12-01-09:

A police officer stopped a stolen car in Rainier Valley in south Seattle, and shot and killed Maurice Clemmons. About 2:45 a.m. this morning, on South Kenyon Street, an unidentified, lone officer, said Clemmons was returning to the stolen vehicle as the police officer was checking it. The hood was up and the motor was running. The policeman recognized Clemmon, ordered him to stop and show his hands. Clemmons did not follow the orders and began to run away. The officer fired.

Three associates of Clemmons have been arrested and up to seven others could be arrested for helping the suspect make his way from the Lakewood/Parkland area to Seattle, according to Pierce County sheriff's spokesperson Ed Troyer. The associates provided shelter, transit, cell phones and other assistance to Clemmons, Troyer says. Now, "They're going to pay for it," he adds.

A blogger living in the area of Forenza Coffee, and who linked to this report, says that Clemmons was living under the name Maurice Smith at 1118 131st. St. S. in Tacoma. 

Related and Background:
Officers Ambushed outside McChord AFB: Forze Coffee Murders

Officers Ambushed outside McChord AFB: Forza Coffee Murders Tacoma Washington

Four police officers were killed in what is being called an ambush in Tacoma, Washington, about 40 miles south of Seattle. The location of the shooting is said to be on the east side of McChord Air Force Base. Roads are closed into the area and air space for the scene has been shut down. Police are calling the murders "a targeted attack." Update 11-29-09 3:40 p.m. CDT below. Tipline: 866-977-2362. New video below. The dead officers were wearing bulletproof vests. Officers names have been released, and a suspect named - see below.

Forza Coffee at red marker

The killings happened at The Forza Coffee Shop at 11401 Steele St. South in Tacoma (or Parkland???). What is not clear is a possible connection to McChord Air Force Base. The base is not shut down and is not on alert. MSNBC is reporting that Forza is "near" McChord. FOX News is showing the graphic of Forza (above) just outside the eastern border of McChord.

Forza Coffee Shop

Officials at the scene are saying that two men, described as a white male and a black male, burst into Forza and shot "the four uniformed officers." The suspects got away. There is a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of suspects, according to KOMONews. FOX has given some detail of the black mail as in his 20's, scruffy wearing a black jacket and blue jeans.

This from FOX News:

"It was just a flat out ambush," Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer told The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash.

Investigators believe the officers were targeted, and it was not a robbery, Troyer said.
There were other customers in the coffee shop but only the four officers were hit, according to q13Fox.com.

"The four of them are known by everybody here," Troyer said. "We haven't got any information as to why this happened."

The names of the downed officers have not been released. Updates as available.

Update 11-29-09 3:40 p.m. CST:

FOX is reporting that the four officers filled were from the Lakewood Police Department - three men and one woman. The attack happened at 8:15 a.m. today. These officer's deaths are the first since the Lakewood department was established in 2004.

q13fox.com is now reporting one suspect, a black male in either his twenties or thirties, standing between 5'7" and 5"10", with scruffy facial hair, wearing a black jacket and blue jeans. He fled northbound on Steele Street S. towards Highway 512. The possibility of additional suspects has not been ruled out. In the video below you'll hear an officer say that the shooter used a handgun.

A clerk at a nearby store said he saw officers bring a police dog into a nearby apartment complex. According to this report, a white pickup truck in a nearby grocery store parking lot has been tagged "as evidence."

The four officers have been identified and release of their names will happen after next of kin are identified. This report says the four officers made up "one patrol unit, including a sergeant," and all four were wearing bulletproof vests.

11-29-09 8:30 p.m. CDT

The names of the murdered officers are:

Sergeant Mark Renninger, 39. He had been in law enforcement for 13 years. He is survived by a wife and three children.

Officer Ronald Owen, 37, with 12 years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by his ex-wife and a daughter.

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

Officer Gregory Richard, 42, with 8 years of law enforcement experience. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Maurice Clemmons is  wanted in Police shootings

Local video of scene of the murders of 4 police officers (video)

Parkland Washington: 4 Officers Killed in Ambush outside McChord AFB: Forza Coffee Shop Murders

Four police officers were killed in what is being called an ambush in Parkland, Washington near Tacoma, and about 40 miles from Seattle. The location of the shooting is said to be on the east side of McChord Air Force Base. Roads are closed into the area and air space for the scene has been shut down. Police are calling the murders "a targeted attack." See updated post here.

Forza Coffee at red marker

The killings happened at The Forza Coffee Shop at 11401 Steele St. South in Tacoma (or Parkland???). What is not clear is the connection of Forza to McChord Air Force Base. MSNBC is reporting that Forza is "near" McChord. Okay, just this moment FOX News is showing a graphic of Forza just outside the eastern border of McChord.

Officials at the scene are saying that two men, described and a white male and a black male, burst into Forza and shot "the four uniformed officers." The suspects got away. There is a $10,000 reward for any information leading to the arrest of suspects, according to KOMONews.

This from FOX News:

"It was just a flat out ambush," Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer told The News Tribune in Tacoma, Wash.

Investigators believe the officers were targeted, and it was not a robbery, Troyer said.
There were other customers in the coffee shop but only the four officers were hit, according to q13Fox.com.

"The four of them are known by everybody here," Troyer said. "We haven't got any information as to why this happened."

The names of the downed officers have not been released. Updates as available.