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4 police officers shot dead in coffee shop
From Patrick Oppmann, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/29/washington.police.shooting/index.html
Lakewood, Washington (CNN) -- Four Lakewood police officers were fatally shot Sunday in what police said was an ambush in a coffee shop.
The officers were sitting in the coffee shop before the start of their shifts, reading on their computers, when the shooting occurred, Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said. Authorities believe the officers were meeting and going over cases or doing paperwork, he said.
A gunman came inside and shot all four officers, Troyer said. Two coffee shop employees and other customers inside the shop were unharmed, said Troyer, who said the shooting "was a targeted, selected ambush."
"As you can imagine, they are traumatized," he said of those inside the coffee shop. "Some are in shock."
Families of the officers have been notified, Troyer said. All of the officers -- three males and a female -- were in uniform, wearing vests and had marked patrol cars parked outside, he said.
A $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, Troyer said.
Police are looking for one man in connection with the attack, which happened at about 8 a.m., Troyer said. The suspect is described as an African-American man, between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a black coat and blue jeans, with a "scruffy" appearance, he said. The man is believed to have fled the coffee shop on foot, he said.
Authorities are not ruling out the possibility that a second person was involved in the attack, Troyer said.
"We're doing everything we can," Troyer said. Authorities were conducting searches in numerous locations, he said, and dogs had been brought in to attempt to track the suspect.
A couple of blocks surrounding the coffee shop were cordoned off. Several other police agencies were on scene to assist.
There were no known threats against police before the incident, Troyer said.
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, in a statement, said she was "shocked and horrified" at the shootings.
"I offer whatever support is needed to the Pierce County Sheriff in their search for the perpetrator," Gregoire said.
Lakewood is about 40 miles south of Seattle and 10 miles southwest of Tacoma.
See a map of where the shootings took place
Bystanders gathered outside the Forza Coffee Company, some of them in tears as they spoke to CNN affiliate KING.
The coffee shop is on the edge of McChord Air Force Base. Spokesman Bud McKay said the base was not shut down, but security was ramped up around the perimeter as a precaution.
The military has offered assistance to police, he said, but it has not been requested.
CNN's Dave Alsup and Dina Majoli contributed to this report.
From Patrick Oppmann, CNN
http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/11/29/washington.police.shooting/index.html
Lakewood, Washington (CNN) -- Four Lakewood police officers were fatally shot Sunday in what police said was an ambush in a coffee shop.
The officers were sitting in the coffee shop before the start of their shifts, reading on their computers, when the shooting occurred, Sheriff's Department spokesman Ed Troyer said. Authorities believe the officers were meeting and going over cases or doing paperwork, he said.
A gunman came inside and shot all four officers, Troyer said. Two coffee shop employees and other customers inside the shop were unharmed, said Troyer, who said the shooting "was a targeted, selected ambush."
"As you can imagine, they are traumatized," he said of those inside the coffee shop. "Some are in shock."
Families of the officers have been notified, Troyer said. All of the officers -- three males and a female -- were in uniform, wearing vests and had marked patrol cars parked outside, he said.
A $10,000 reward was offered for information leading to an arrest, Troyer said.
Police are looking for one man in connection with the attack, which happened at about 8 a.m., Troyer said. The suspect is described as an African-American man, between 5 feet 7 inches and 5 feet 10 inches tall, wearing a black coat and blue jeans, with a "scruffy" appearance, he said. The man is believed to have fled the coffee shop on foot, he said.
Authorities are not ruling out the possibility that a second person was involved in the attack, Troyer said.
"We're doing everything we can," Troyer said. Authorities were conducting searches in numerous locations, he said, and dogs had been brought in to attempt to track the suspect.
A couple of blocks surrounding the coffee shop were cordoned off. Several other police agencies were on scene to assist.
There were no known threats against police before the incident, Troyer said.
Washington Gov. Christine Gregoire, in a statement, said she was "shocked and horrified" at the shootings.
"I offer whatever support is needed to the Pierce County Sheriff in their search for the perpetrator," Gregoire said.
Lakewood is about 40 miles south of Seattle and 10 miles southwest of Tacoma.
See a map of where the shootings took place
Bystanders gathered outside the Forza Coffee Company, some of them in tears as they spoke to CNN affiliate KING.
The coffee shop is on the edge of McChord Air Force Base. Spokesman Bud McKay said the base was not shut down, but security was ramped up around the perimeter as a precaution.
The military has offered assistance to police, he said, but it has not been requested.
CNN's Dave Alsup and Dina Majoli contributed to this report.
