Maurice Clemmons, 37, has been upgraded from a "person of interest" in the shooting of four Lakewood, Washington police officers, to a "suspect." In addition, a police spokesman hinted that Clemmons may actually be dead.
According to The Seattle Times, Clemmons has been surrounded by police officers inside a Leschi neighborhood home located in Seattle. At a 3:00 a.m. press briefing, Pierce County sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said of Clemmons, "He has suffered a gunshot wound." It is believed the gunshot came during the attack on police officers Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39, and officers Ronald Owens, 37, Tina Griswold, 40, and Gregory Richards, 42, and was fired by one of the officers.
Other people have been arrested in connection with aiding and abetting Clemmons, but no names have been released to the public. Allegedly, some of those arrested confirmed that Clemmons had been shot. Troyer would not declare the severity of Clemmons's wounds, however, he did mention that the suspect may already be dead.
Troyer did not specify that Clemmons had a motive against any of the four officers in particular. There was discussion, however, of a general paranoia against all police officers.
"He was upset about being incarcerated," Troyer said. "He was just targeting cops."
According to numerous court documents, Clemmons has a long criminal record in Arkansas and Washington ranging from rape of a child to assaulting a police officer. He was released on bail from Pierce County one week ago and the child rape charges.
Corey Mitchell is a critically acclaimed Los Angeles Times best-selling author of several true crime books including Dead and Buried, Pure Murder and Hollywood Death Scenes. He is also the founder of the premiere true crime website, In Cold Blog, executive producer for a new true crime television series, and a former Hollywood crime expert and blogger for the Discovery Channel. He can be reached at truecrimewriter@aol.com.
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