65 Replies to "Update: Police-murder suspect Maurice Clemmons shot dead"

• rockyraccoon December 1, 2009 (3:07 am)

  Glad to be of service! Sounds like it’s probably the guy…on his way to Harborview now.

• TRICK December 1, 2009 (3:08 am)

  I’m listening too before going to work.
  It sounds like a pretty heavy presence.
  You’re good WSB!

• WSB December 1, 2009 (3:13 am)

  Thanks, RR. Yes, I heard some fairly clear scanner traffic BUT I think in a case like this – until we hear it for sure out of the mouth of an official spokesperson – too soon to make an official declaration.
  .
  The citywide media’s been doing a great job with this – so unique that the search has covered so many places, transcending a single neighborhood – but some of the guys and gals who’ve been on this around the clock since Sunday morning were finally catching a few z’s, so I think it’ll take a while (aside from the morning TV news crews who were on duty anyway) for everybody to converge on this scene – TR

• TRICK December 1, 2009 (3:38 am)

  “Maurice Clemmons was shot and wounded in South Seattle and has been taken to Harborview Medical Center, according to a law enforcement source.”

• Mookie December 1, 2009 (3:50 am)

  and…he’s dead, per KIROTV and Pierce County Sheriff Ed Troyer.

• WSB December 1, 2009 (3:52 am)

  I just added that. Have been discussing it on Twitter and Facebook and forgot to add here. KOMO also reported it. But a couple other reputable citywide sources haven’t confirmed it yet, nor have we seen a statement directly from PCSD or SPD. * Edit, KING just confirmed it too.

• Mookie December 1, 2009 (4:08 am)

  Someone recorded the scanner traffic when the incident began, through the capture.

  http://reportingfromseattle.posterous.com/

• real smith December 1, 2009 (5:28 am)

  how do we know he did this

• WSB December 1, 2009 (5:35 am)

  I don’t know what evidence they have. I have never referred to him as the killer – only the suspect, One thing just revealed at the news conference – the gun reported taken from one of the murdered officers was found on him this morning when he was shot.

• k December 1, 2009 (7:04 am)

  i think the fact that he was carrying one of the fallen policeman’s gun is a pretty good indication they’ve got their man. he was also had a gunshot wound in the torso as witnesses at the police shooting had stated.

• bout time December 1, 2009 (7:22 am)

  Like a rabid dog that needed to go down.

• GenHillOne December 1, 2009 (8:43 am)

  Now to round up and prosecute the people who helped this guy – sounds like they have 4 so far? I’d also like to see Mike Huckabee get a personal visit from Gov. Gregoire and the Lakewood police chief.

• seven December 1, 2009 (9:00 am)

  Five dead people. It’s like we’re watching a cheap television show only it’s real this time.

  It feels so post-modern.

• seven December 1, 2009 (9:07 am)

  Mr. Huckabee wanted to give a man who was barely out of his teens a second chance at life. Thank god it wasn’t a democratic governor responsible for the commutation since it is an extremely liberal value to give young people a second chance is it not? Oh, right, not when it’s a republican doing so.

• KateMcA December 1, 2009 (9:22 am)

  Who cares about Huckabee or Gregoire? Four police officers executed and a suspect dead sounds slightly more important to me…

• Danielle December 1, 2009 (9:31 am)

  Give me a f’ing break. Does NO ONE find any conflicts with the police’s accounts of all of this? You’re telling me that he walked in to the coffee shop, shot 4 officers that were seated having coffee, had time to get one of their guns (even though one was still up and moving and chased him out, before shooting him in the abdomen). THEN! A routine run of a license plate coming up “stolen” (the shooting of the suspect took place a mere 40 minutes after the car had been stolen) turns into the officer sensing movement behind him on the driver’s side of his patrol car. He notices the person approaching his vehicle matches the suspected cop-killer’s description (black male?…) and gets out of his car. The person starts running, the cop orders him to stop. He refuses. And does, or doesnt reach for a gun, depending on which police media person you listen to. And then the officer fires several rounds at him. Then, according to Ed Troyer, he is identified by the officer as Maurice Clemmons, the suspected cop killer. What’s used to identify him?…He has one of the slain officer’s guns and an old wound to the abdomen. Another account says that the officer fired several rounds and then took him into custody where he later died. People just get spoon fed this stuff. And they believe it. And sit in their little living rooms saying “oh good. we’re safe now. the police got the bad guy”. WHY DO YOU THINK COPS KEEP GETTING KILLED??? Because of corruption and injustice that they perpetuate. They are just as dirty as the criminals. And anyone who disagrees is choosing to live life uninformed.

• dawsonct December 1, 2009 (9:35 am)

  I think the point being made in regards to Huckabee is that the party of the Willy Horton adds (released from prison under a clemency program started by a Republican governor, he re-offended when Michael Dukakis was the gov. and was used in a very damaging add during the pres. election. But of course, you remembered/knew all that) will have a difficult time nominating and running MH for the PotUSA.
  –
  Hopefully those allied with Clemmons while he was on the run will be spending a LOOOOONG time in Walla Walla reassessing their priorities in life. They are scum.

• seven December 1, 2009 (9:38 am)

  Dead people are more important than trying to figure out what went wrong with a system that let the suspect out of prison in the first place? Trying to fix the system so more people don’t die is less important than dead people? Nice priorities.

• seven December 1, 2009 (9:41 am)

  Danielle, I don’t disagree with you exactly but you need to work on your tone. Self-righteous indignation is very unattractive and is extremely prolific in this city.

• dawsonct December 1, 2009 (9:45 am)

  That sure is a big, nihilistic paintbrush you wield, Danielle.
  –
  If I understand correctly what I read earlier, and my reading comprehension is somewhat above average, the weapon was taken from the last officer killed, and the “old” wound to the abdomen was probably better described as a “recent” wound to the abdomen.
  I will be interested in the ballistics on any round removed from his earlier gunshot wound, not something usually ignored and allowed to heal on it’s own.

• KBear December 1, 2009 (9:48 am)

  Danielle, that is totally insensitive and uncalled for. Four police officers were murdered on the job and all you can think of are conspiracy theories?

• mylife December 1, 2009 (9:48 am)

  Danielle you need help. I am married to a Seattle Police Officer who was there. I don’t live my life uninformed. Let me tell you how I live my life: I live my life taking care of my baby around the clock and waiting for my husband to come home from a 17 hour shift hoping he is okay. I live my life going to bed alone every night because he is on the Seattle’s dark streets. I live my life getting out of bed in the morning and noticing he isn’t there. I live my life spending holidays apart from him. I live my life knowing he may never come home to us. I live my life hearing the stories from the front lines about what happened to officers after they were shot for no reason. I live my life losing friends like you because you because of your silent judgement and lack of support. I live my life knowing people like you don’t understand and never will unless you or your family is touched by violence. I live my life knowing that just the word ‘police’ has a negative connotation in our society and that ‘firefighter’ doesn’t. I live my life hiding what my husband does in public because of people like you.

  Of all the cases for you to spout your hate and bias against cops on. You choose the most high-profile case in this state’s history that went multi-national. At a time when the officers in Lakewood have not even been laid to rest. Your arm-chair quarterback assessment of this situation is unfounded, wrong and completely inappropriate. This month Seattle Police have more than proven themselves and we should be proud to be under their umbrella of protection.

  People like you could never know the endless hours that they put in to keep people like this CHILD RAPIST off the street. This man had his due justice about 100 times over and it failed.

  You might want to consider some counseling for your issues with police and race because this situation has nothing to do with your views on the matter.

• more December 1, 2009 (9:56 am)

  normally I would agree that we are spoon-fed a lot of stuff. However this fire started way before the killings. There is a trail Danielle – he is clearly mentally ill.

  Sea Times:
  Maurice Clemmons took his rage out on his Parkland neighborhood, throwing rocks at houses, cars and people, according to police records. He was charged with child rape after molesting a young female relative in his house in May.

  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010392869_shootingjustice01m.html

• Danielle December 1, 2009 (9:56 am)

  What’s totally insensitive and uncalled for is the way we are LIED to by the police via the media. I realize that there are kids who are father and motherless due to the officers slaying. Im sad for that. However, what Im equally sad about is the ALL OUT ATTACK by our society on black males. The assumptions, generalizations, and lack of cultural competency by our police is GETTING THEM KILLED. If that seems harsh, Im sorry. You keep being meek and mild. I’ll point out the brutal truths. There is an imbalance of justice in this country and I won’t shut up. It’s liberty and justice for some. And that’s not good enough.

• JoB December 1, 2009 (10:08 am)

  danielle… have you heard of suicide by police fire? That’s when someone who knows they will be going to prison for life..or worse… intentionally engages police in a manner that guarantees they will be shot and hopefully killed.

  i don’t know that this is what happened here, but i have seen the effects this action has on the poor policeman who was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was the one who pulled the trigger.. especially where there is a history of mental illness in the perpetrator.

  It is likely this officer is getting support from his fellow officers today…
  not the congratulations your post seems to infer.

• hoodlumjoe December 1, 2009 (10:08 am)

  I love the drama baby!!

• Sean December 1, 2009 (10:12 am)

  Danielle, if a cop tells you to stop, do you run? That guy not only deserved what he got, but should have been double tapped.

• Danielle December 1, 2009 (10:17 am)

  I agree with you “more” about the mental illness in this case. In this case, I am just questioning the corrupt manner in which the police reconstruct an incident to suit their needs. In general though, there is a rage against police that is bound to keep erupting and costing officers their lives. And until there is justice for everyone, until everyone can enjoy equal treatment by law enforcment, this will keep happening. JoB, I always appreciate your reasonable and thoughtful approach. Thank you. “mylife”, Im sorry, but I can’t consider anything you say unbias…you’re in love with and married to a man in law enforcement. For you to be able to look at your husband’s profession as anything but nobel and righteous, would be a detriment to your happiness.

• Brian December 1, 2009 (10:18 am)

  Don’t feed the TROLL

• Danielle December 1, 2009 (10:21 am)

  And Sean, you weren’t there. Neither was I. What I am challenging is this story. (which sounds all too similar to Christopher Monfort’s story a month ago) The details don’t add up. And I cant stand the idea that the police, in this situation and others, can paint whatever picture they want, to suit their agenda. That, paired with their lack of cultural competency, is putting millions of black males in jail or dead. Does that not seem like a problem to you??

• thank you December 1, 2009 (10:21 am)

  mylife –

  I wish I had words for you that could ease your pain – I also work for SPD, as a civilian, and have many friends who are both sworn & civilian. We have put in MANY hours over these past weeks to ensure the right people are found & prosecuted for the crimes they’ve committed. No one is out for “revenge” – we only want justice for our fallen brothers & sisters.

  I want to say thank you, for your part, in keeping our City safe. I know that behind each SPD employee is a supportive family.

  Please let your husband and his squad know we appreciate them.

• Sean December 1, 2009 (10:22 am)

  Danielle…and just how do you know we are being lied to by the police? What evidence do you have to support your arguments? It seems to me more criminals get off easy than anything. This guy was supposed to be in jail for the rest of his life, AND was wanted on child rape charges and you think he’s the victim? Give me a break.

• seven December 1, 2009 (10:23 am)

  Blaming the police for injustice is like me blaming your computer for your trite comments Danielle.

• dawsonct December 1, 2009 (10:26 am)

  I am not defending the defenders of the status quo, by the way, but I do feel that until we humans evolve into a completely altruistic being, not something that will happen in my lifetime, than we will need a justice system, and the first line of that is a police force.
  I believe the VAST majority of persons who go into law enforcement do so with the best of intent, but it is a profession that naturally attracts a very few people who see it as a chance for them to have an indisputable position of power and authority. It would be best for society if we profile the type who use their position for aggressive or vindictive purposes and remove them from the job, but to assume that most people who go into law-enforcement are doing so for anything other than the best of intentions, I feel is a fallacious opinion.

• GenHillOne December 1, 2009 (10:29 am)

  hell, even *I* would have recognized the guy on the street after all the coverage and I don’t doubt his mugshot was in every patrol car; true that there is a long history of mental illness and violence on this person and I’m sure more will surface, though not the made-for-tv movie as written above
  –
  mylife, there are folks that believe your husband is in a noble profession, I hope that message becomes louder than the other for your family

• mylife December 1, 2009 (10:29 am)

  Danielle – WRONG. My husband was not in law enforcement when I met him so I can see both sides. You are entitled to your opinion of course but it is callous at this time. YOu also see your side not the other. You are biased too -you assume cops are twisting truth yet you aren’t doing their job. I don’t see his job as noble and righteous – I see it as unappreciated and misunderstood. He isn’t pro-cop all the time and these issues do exist over our entire culture not just in police work. I was raised in Seattle and went to Garfield in the CD and know exactly the issues you are talking about. I have paid the price by losing friends like you who I can’t reach. You don’t know my race. There are black cops too. Please be careful in making your points. I made that mistake – devil’s advocate very early on in his career but 12 years later have learned there are just bad people out there — black, white, asian. The tragedy here in my view is that he was mentally ill and needed medication and he didn’t get it. Your issues re: race are centuries old but these are new officers not the officers from the past. Things have changed drastically and police are being held accountable more than ever. I am sorry that the manhunt brought up issues for you. The other option was to let him run free. The media is following our thirst. There are many layered issues here.

• Deckard December 1, 2009 (10:35 am)

  danielle..(with a small d)…….How did I know someone would turn this into a “race war”? I suppose that Clemmons didn’t shoot those officers, the “Gun” did. So lets ban all guns. And I suppose that it’s not a hate crime if a black man kills 4 white police officers. But what would happen if a white man killed 4 black police officers. Would that be okay? Or would there be riots in the streets.
  KILLING IS A HATE CRIME. Crime is Crime! Color has nothing to do with it! If you are not breaking the law, then you have nothing to worry about. If you don’t like the laws, then organize and change them. Don’t blame others, or play the victim. If Clemmons would have stopped, when being pursued, he would have recieved his due process, even though I don’t think he deserves it.
  GOD BLESS our law enforcement community. I am so thankful for them. And my heart and prayers go out to the families of the fallen officers.

• AnotherIdiotInWS December 1, 2009 (10:37 am)

  The wife of a Seattle Police officer (“mylife”) would not make comments on a BLOG (which, btw folks – is NOT the news)… “mylife,” you should stop pretending to be something you are not. And frankly, I don’t care if you were the wife – what’s really your point?

  Danielle, I agree there are some convenient elements, such as the gun, but the conspiracy theories are a bit much. However, there was never any mention of the missing gun prior to his killing. That was interesting.

• dawsonct December 1, 2009 (10:38 am)

  Brian, I don’t see Danielle as being a troll. The reasons for the anger do exist and they are some very serious issues which need to be constantly addressed in our society.
  I simply feel D is incorrect in this case.

• Chuck and Sally\'s Van Man December 1, 2009 (10:41 am)

  Wow. Just wow. Danielle, I can comprehend your anger over black males getting a bad rap in our society. But you lost me immediately when you intimate that the original shooting did not go down as stated. These cops were flat-out assassinated as they sat in a very defenseless position. It’s amazing one officer was able to engage the suspect at all (just how long do you think it takes to pull the trigger 4 or 5 times??). Thank God he was able to wound this psychopath before he gave up his own life in the struggle.

  But you go ahead and hold on to your anger as tightly as you can for as long as you can. Make everyone your enemy and experience no joy in life. The rest of us are going to pray for the families of of our fallen heroes and be thankful there are people like these who walk among us, protecting us. Helping keep even idiots like you safe from harm as best they can.

  Unbelievable.

  Chuck.

• mark December 1, 2009 (10:43 am)

  While I might agree with some of what Danille has to say I am willing to gamble they got the right guy. I also think the focus should be on the victims and their families. Finger pointing can happen after they have been fully honored.

• what? December 1, 2009 (10:47 am)

  I would like to know what Danielle is talking about with the comment, “ALL OUT ATTACK by our society on black males.” Really? We live in the Pacific Northwest and in my time here, I have not witnessed any such attack on black males, and that claim is something I heard about all the time growing up in the South. “The assumptions, generalizations, and lack of cultural competency by our police is GETTING THEM KILLED.” What “cultural competency” are they lacking? And I’d love to know where you grew up and have lived most of your life, Danielle, to know if you are as “culturally competent” as you claim others should be?

• WSB December 1, 2009 (10:58 am)

  Another Idiot, two points. Yes, this IS “the news.” Full-time, veteran-journalist-run, professional, commercial news service. Credentialed and recognized by every local law enforcement and government agency with which the corporate media deal. “Blog” is in the name because of how the site started four years ago, but it signifies nothing more than our publishing format, like “newspaper” or “broadcast.”
  .
  Second point, yes, there was mention of the missing gun before this morning. I have been monitoring multiple sources on this since about two hours after it happened and investigators mentioned this yesterday. Looking for an online reference – trying to think of more specific search terms than Lakewood/gun/officer, which bring up everything.
  .
  TR

• sad dad December 1, 2009 (11:32 am)

  After you guys solve that little institutional racism thing maybe you can sort this one out for me:
  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/released/

• AnotherIdiotInWS December 1, 2009 (11:38 am)

  I stand corrected on “news” vs “blog.”

  I had not seen any report of the officer’s gun missing. There were reports of the gun used to kill the four officers being found at the scene. That is my only recollection.

• DBurns December 1, 2009 (11:45 am)

  I have been thinking about many of these comments since I started reading them early this morning. It seems that this is a difficult time to have anything but an emotional conversation due to the fact that the events have just happened in the last few days, and they are devastating to all, no matter where you stand.
  I think that Danielle and some others are just pointing out that things should be questioned. Many things I have read on comments on this news site have said that exact thing – don’t follow, question all points, don’t believe the “hype”, etc. It’s what makes for lively, interesting dialogue! It also sounds like “mylife” has questioned things too – from her perspective; as everyone should. I just think that it is all too raw right now to have a discussion that is not fueled by emotion, and that can make it a difficult conversation to have.
  I also want to point out that this news site has become one that I trust NOT to report emotionally – not to be biased, and to be clear with the facts, noting when they are still waiting, noting when others contribute things that are not confirmed – they seem to be very careful and that makes me feel like their information can be trusted, for they are aware and in favor of the “question what you hear” idea, so they are careful about what they say.

• artsea December 1, 2009 (12:25 pm)

  danielle is probably still insisting that O.J. is innocent and that the cops set him up. And, those relatives and friends who were assisting Clemmons in evading arrest, were good citizens. I’m sure she also thinks Clemmons was a model citizen. Maybe she also thinks we should do away with all police so that people like Clemmons could take charge of “law and order”.

• JH December 1, 2009 (12:26 pm)

  MyLife-you’re in the position that doesn’t get recognized that much, unless you end up a widow. Kudos to you for supporting your husband like that. It’s a hard role as a spouse of an LEO. Ignore the stupid comments on here. There’s a reason people in law enforcement are such a tight bunch, including the spouses. I hope your husband is always safe. Sorry for all the worry you go through. And good job to the WSB for reporting this news so fast early in the AM!

• WSB December 1, 2009 (1:02 pm)

  Thanks, JH. As I noted in the 3:13 am comment above, this happened at a time when a lot of the citywide/regional media who’d been on the case for 36+ hours straight were catching a few Z’s, so we jumped into the stream to help get the early word out. Thanks again to the anonymous caller who apparently was Rockyraccoon (first comment above) … we really had JUST turned off the scanner a short time earlier. (Then just moments after we turned it off again … the Fauntleroy Way fire happened .. for that one, we heard the sirens.) Hope things calm down now for a while … although even “calm” is never that way for public-safety personnel … anyone who’s never listened to the scanner should hear what even a “calm” night sounds like … TR, rambling

• John December 1, 2009 (2:00 pm)

  I can concur with one of Danielle’s points. Police officers do operate within their own society governing themselves. It seems about every 6 months we hear about a police brutality event taken place here in Seattle. Numerous civilian witnesses tell a story of a brutal beating they witnessed, by police, while the suspect was doing as told. The officers tell a different story are typically cleared by their peers and back on the streets. The witnesses that came forward wonder why they even bothered.

• JanS December 1, 2009 (2:32 pm)

  for those who have said that they heard nothing about one of the officers guns being taken, a question. Do you think that the police have an obligation to tell you absolutely everything about a case? I’m just curious. I feel that in something like this they might hold back, to keep the suspect off guard.

  Also…for those who have a beef with SPD or any other police force in the area…take it somewhere else..like a discussion in the forums – it would probably be lively.. Please remember that the families of the deceased “may” read this, and disrespect is disrespect. Be respectful of these officers families until they’ve been buried, at least. There’s a time and a place…and maybe this isn’t exactly it, danielle…if you get my drift. Just a thought.

• jiggers December 1, 2009 (2:42 pm)

  Lets digress back to the story. This is what I understand. They shot a SUSPECT? Not proven at all to be the killer(yet), but a person of interest who is/was a menace to society. Not backing the bad dude up here, but I thought we are a civilized nation. Is there solid evidence that it was him? I didn’t read any current updates yet or new information. I know though that a lot of black males were harrassed in the last 24 hours around town and saw huge police presence around Westlake Park.

• Josh December 1, 2009 (2:42 pm)

  WSB – I’m sorry that the nut jobs have now found your comments section too. There was a time when the comments here were a welcome bastion of sanity compared to the others for our region (the TV sites / PI / Times). No more reading the comments on this site, either.

• jiggers December 1, 2009 (2:58 pm)

  Anyways…justiced served end of story.

• T-Rex December 1, 2009 (3:18 pm)

  Danielle,
  If you think our poice department is corrupt, I suggest you spend some time in Mexico. Smart off to a cop down there and we will see you in about six months when they decide to let you out. After of course your family sends them their life savings. Did I mention you didn’t get a lawyer or a trial?
  That my friend is corruption. Yes there are good cops and of course there are bad cops. I bet my money there is less of the latter.

• WSB December 1, 2009 (4:04 pm)

  Regarding why the suspect was shot this morning – please follow the links before speculating whether it was justified or not, which will be reviewed by a panel. This apparently was not even a scene they had gone to, in a search for this guy – the officer was checking out a stolen car when the suspect turned up.
  http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010393433_webarrest01m.html
  .
  To Josh – “Nut job” is in the eyes of the beholder. We police comments on our site more aggressively than most do on theirs. I have deleted at least a dozen comments regarding this particular case (as we did in the wake of the murder of Officer Brenton) and if there is one here that someone believes should be deleted for violation of our nominal rules (no name-calling toward others participating in the online discussion, is a major one), please point it out. Danielle’s original comment is borderline and we debated whether it violates our rules, which include “don’t blame the victim” – but she seemed to be raising a general issue/belief, which has been vigorously debated/debunked here, and the resulting perspectives have had a great deal of value.
  .
  It is harder to maintain a site with some rules than a site with no rules, and we make the best moderation decisions we can, in the vein of “it’s an art, not a science,” and therefore quite open to interpretation. Any time you think something is out of bounds, you are also welcome to call it to our attention offsite at editor@westseattleblog.com
  .
  TR

• miws December 1, 2009 (6:02 pm)

  Thanks for the link to that article, TR.

  .

  One thing that stands out in my mind, from the info there, is how very little time, literally seconds, that an Officer has to determine, and with alot of factors, if they have a justifiable reason to use deadly force upon a person they encounter, and feel may be a threat.

  .

  It’s one hell of alot of info to process, especially with every situation being unique, in such a short amount of time.

  .

  Mike

• Ms Evelyn December 1, 2009 (8:10 pm)

  How dare “The Person” who wanted to turn this into a race issue! The whole point is that 4 people have been taken from this world by a coward who got away with doing wrong for way way to long! I am glad that he was killed. I don’t trust that our judicial system would have handled this fairly & quickly for the victims (and their families) if it would have had to go through the court system.

• WTF December 1, 2009 (8:39 pm)

  Since everyone is so verbose. I’ll just enter one big, loud, proud, HALLELUJAH!!!!

• AD December 1, 2009 (9:24 pm)

  I agree. I felt safer in South Seattle today.

• ltfd December 2, 2009 (12:45 pm)

  danielle, I am sorry that you have a hard time grasping the way that Clemmons’ final moments unfolded. Try listening to the audio tape of the SPD Officer on scene (If it is not readily available on the internet, you can file a freedom of information request to obtain it).

  While some of the radio traffic of the patrol officer is available from the scanner sites, an uninterrupted version is also available. An unbiased individual should be able to evaluate the standard events unfolding prior to Clemmons approaching the scene.

  Danielle, good luck on reaching a happier state of consciousness.

• Danielle December 2, 2009 (10:11 pm)

  I’d just suggest that sometimes people confuse an effect for being a cause. Think about that for a while….

• dawsonct December 3, 2009 (2:21 am)

  So Danielle, do you think the police are the CAUSE of the premature deaths and the unrealistic incarceration rates of black males, or is that an EFFECT of the institutionalized racism still deeply entrenched in our society?
  –
  What do YOU do to affect change?

• Danielle December 3, 2009 (7:11 am)

  dawsonct- Thanks for asking. Rather than tout all of my efforts to level the playing field, I’ll simply keep it to my efforts on this blog.

  https://westseattleblog.com/blog/forum/topic.php?id=3424

  And yes. I’d say that the justice system IS among the causes of the disproportionate amount of black males incarcerated, and yes….institutional racism IS still deeply entrenched in our society.

• Jerry December 5, 2009 (1:31 pm)

  I am just curious. How did the police know immediately after the cops shooting that the suspect is Clemmons? I am not defending the guy – he deserved to be dead – but in other murders, police takes some time before finding the suspect but in this case, they immediately know who the suspect is. From what I read, it doesn’t seem like anybody has read the license plate of the get away car or some security camera has captured the guy on tape? How did police know so quickly?

Sorry, comment time is over.