This is a follow-up on the sister of Maurice Clemmons, the man who murdered four Lakewood Police Officers.
Local News | Clemmons' sister sentenced to five years in prison | Seattle Times Newspaper
Friday, June 18, 2010
Spondylitis – From Denial to Support
This article is from this month’s Spondylitis Association of America publication, and I identified with the author in a number of his observations. As he says in the article, the stories of people with AS are as unique and complex as the disease itself. Many people have been suffering and searching for answers for years. Many people alienate the people closest to them. The impact of pain, limitations and fatigue often cause irritability, frustration, social withdrawal and the gradual (or not so gradual) loss of ability to do normal or enjoyable activities can leave one feeling depressed, grief-stricken, even eroding self-confidence, reasoning ability and memory.
The author hits upon an outstanding concept when he recognizes with the diagnosis he became part of a group. A group he wants nothing to do with, and a group of one – the author himself. At least initially. It is true that most people have no idea what SA is, or what it can do to a person, and that alone tends to isolate an AS patient from most of the people in his or her life.
Again, if AS affects you, or anyone in your life, this article is worth reading.
Complications of Spondylitis - Ankylosing Spondylitis Complications, Areas of Inflammation and More
If someone in your life has Ankylosing Spondylitis, this article is an excellent and succinct tutorial that will give insight into how the disease affects them. If you have AS, this article is an excellent tutorial and offers some very good information to consider.
This is an outstanding article describing the impacts of Ankylosing Spondylitis. Many people – if they have heard of it at all – think AS affects only the lower spine. This article describes the process and progression of the disease, and the impacts on other areas of the body, fatigue and even chest pains caused by AS.
I find myself in the position of having an advanced level of AS – impacts in the shoulders, hips, knees, back, and calcification (causing inflammation) where ligaments and tendons attach to bone. Because of injuries early in life, and the resulting early onset of osteoarthritis, the first two rheumatologists I saw simply noted the osteoarthritis and stopped looking there. Finally, I was referred to an excellent doctor who looked beyond the first issue and identified AS as a culprit in my life. This diagnosis allowed me to get treatment for the process (AS) that was causing most of my symptoms- including Remicade infusion therapy- which helped me a great deal. If you’d like to read more about Dr. Overman, and his highly regarded book - You Don’t LOOK Sick! Living Well With Invisible Chronic Illness, which was a finalist in the Health category of Best Books 2005 awarded by USA Book News, here is a link to his profile and clinic information: Seattle Arthritis Clinic Staff
Understanding the disease you have, and managing your own treatment, lifestyle and health is an absolute necessity in my opinion, and this article is a good place to start:
Complications of Spondylitis - Ankylosing Spondylitis Complications, Areas of Inflammation and More
Friday, May 21, 2010
Charles Krauthammer - The fruits of weakness
It is perilous indeed to pull out the historical comparisons, and recently I have noted a lot of rumblings – well, more than usual – from conservatives characterizing President Obama’s foreign policy as one of appeasement and toothless sanction – and comparing it to the appeasement policies of Neville Chamberlain . Most of the time, these comparisons over-simplify issues. Krauthammer’s piece points out the possible and actual consequences of a toothless, one-down interaction with the world. Even if you don’t agree with part or all of what he says, it is worth a read. Link below. MB
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Monday, March 08, 2010
The Bully Pulpit is No Longer on Hiatus
To my faithful 2.7 readers: I’ve had the chance to do some writing lately, and so I will say that the blog is no longer on hiatus. Sorry.
On a more serious note: I have been constantly surprised at how many people have chosen to check out my blog on a regular basis. Thank you for reading.
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Mariner Off-Season Moves Looking Nothing Short of Brilliant to me (who cares?)
I was amazed at the huge improvement that we saw last year over the prior season’s team in almost every way. They did the little things, they played defense, they made opposing pitchers work harder. The clubhouse was light-hearted but purposeful at the same time. The two men brought in to overhaul the debacle created by B-B-B-B…I feel like the Fonz trying to say ‘I’m sorry.’…Bavasi not only did that, but managed to change the culture, expectations, style of play, accountability of this team while winning and producing mostly headlines about their baseball play.
This offseason has been a dream for me. We get a real, speedy, disciplined guy to hit behind Ichiro and play a solid third, bring in a LF that has had recent problems but may really blossom in a different place and environment. Then there are the players like Garko, Kotchman, Eric Byrnes – all capable of 20-30 homers and a couple of which still have some speed. THEN we look at the pickup of Cliff Lee and Brandon League to an already good pitching staff, the return of Franklin Guttierrez, a healthy Jack Wilson, as well as Griffey, strong reserves like Langerhans, Hannahan, Tuiasosopo.
It’s hard enough for me to wrap my head around all of the positive moves, made within a philosophy including solid defense, fundamentals, etc., but to add in the new five year deal for Felix Hernandez and I am verklempt.
And geez, Bedard and Washburn are still floating around out there, and either one of them would be a great fifth starter, and if healthy much better than that. How does a rotation of Felix, Lee, Snell, Rowland-Smith and Fister sound? Much better than last season, right? If the M’s were able to get either Bedard or Waashburn, or both at decent prices, then at least for part of the year we’d see Felix, Lee, Washburn, Bedard and Rowland-Smith. That would be one hell of a group of starters wouldn’t it?
Even without any more signings, I think that the M’s pitching coach, defense, bullpen coach and manager will be able to do what they have done thus far with pitchers: improve them. From the ranks of Snell, French, Fister, Vargas and Olson, I imagine that the M’s could coax solid, innings-eating starters for the fourth and fifth spots. The bullpen has been improved too, and now we can expect to see League, Lowe Aardsma for the seventh, eighth and ninth, with Kelley, White and perhaps Vargas or Olson.
It would be great to have a really solid and established right-handed hitter, and I know that we’ll have to see how this all works out at the end of the season, but Jack Z is my hero right now, and Don Wakamatsu is a close second.
I feel like the M’s will be in the West race all season, and if I think back to the final game of the 2008 team’s season – which I attended, masochist that I am – there is no way you could have convinced me that within 2 seasons after 101 losses, the team would be contending for the West.
I do love baseball, and all the more so when I get to watch it played well, managed well, and winning.
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Second-most numerous quake swarm hits Yellowstone
I normally wouldn’t put a second link to this item I write about a few days ago, but it does give some hint as to the lag between someone who watches the NEIC (National Earthquake Information Center) email alerts for activity, and how long it takes media outlets to become interested. So far, there are four that have shown interest in this year’s Quake Swarm. Again, it may be nothing much at all. Or, it could be the start of something big…MB
More than 1,200 tiny quakes hit Yellowstone Park, but jitters are few
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
Recent Earthquakes for Yellowstone
If you recall last January I mentioned the more frequent than typical quake swarms happening then in the area around Yellowstone Lake. It is likely nothing, but isn’t it interesting that in January of this year we see another increase above typical frequency levels. In this swarm of 46 quakes since January 13, 2010, as you can see from the map the activity is located well to the west of the area of Yellowstone Lake and the ground rise phenomenon under the lake. This series of small quakes are centered in the area of Buffalo Meadows quadrant on topographical maps.
Recent Earthquakes for Yellowstone
http://www.trails.com/topo_beta.aspx?lat=44.56213&lon=-110.97427&s=100&size=s
Monday, January 18, 2010
Mariners Close to Signing Washburn?
I’ve now heard it at least three times that the M’s and Jarrod Washburn are working at inking a deal that would bring him back to Seattle. The work he did on new pitches before last season, plus an even better defense behind him would make the deal make sense to me. I’d love to have
1. Hernandez
2. Lee
3. Washburn
4. Rowland-Smith
5. Fister
(Or the best-performing guy from Spring Training – Snell, French, Vargas or Olson)?
The recent addition of League should mean that Lowe doesn’t have to make so many appearances and Aardsma doesn’t go more than one inning. White, Kelly, and some mix of Snell, French Vargas, Olson give me a confident feeling about both the starting lineup AND the bullpen – long and short.
With the off-season moves to add good to great gloves, and also pick up some solid hitting, I am telling myself to calm down and not get too much expectation piled up so early. I even feel cautiously optimistic about Milton Bradley because A) Junior will be in the same clubhouse, and B) if he wants a roster spot anywhere he needs to straighten up and fly right. And C), since he was basically a way to get hitting potential who might bloom in a new environment while allowing the M’s to offload the bloated Silva. That is, the bloated Silva contract.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Cobra Venom Erases Arthritis Symptoms : Discovery News
This is an interesting article that hints at not only relief from pain for arthritis sufferers, but also at reducing future damage. Worth a read:
Ackley Getting Intensive Instruction at Second Base
The calendar has turned the dial, and now that 2010 is upon us, it is not long before Spring Training will also be upon us. The Mariners are confident in the defensive ability of top draft choice Dustin Ackley at pretty much any of the outfield positions, but as it happens, the M’s have a pretty solid outfield in place and signed through the next few seasons. With recently acquired Milton Bradley – who could anchor an offense if he’s feeling the love – in left, Franklin Gutierrez in center, Ichiro in right, and capable backups in highly-scouted and touted Michael Saunders, Ryan Langerhans and even Ken Griffey, Jr. all on the outfield depth chart.
So, what may be the quickest path to the Bigs for Ackley? Well, although the M’s are mostly happy with Jose Lopez offensively (though there are some issues in some situations there), he simply doesn’t have the range and defensive ability they are building the team around. He’s listed as backup at first base to newly signed Kotchman, and the addition of Chone Figgins should end any thought of playing him at third – though I doubt there was much thought of it in the organization. Jack Hannihan is a capable defensive utility player. Which leaves us with a young man who looks ready to hit in the Bigs, but needs a place to play. And so we find Dustin Ackley working out daily with the Mariners infield coordinator, learning and getting reps at second base.
I don’t know that it means they will ultimately move him to second, but it will be interesting to see how he does there in Spring Training. And Lopez is only signed through this season…
Thursday, January 07, 2010
DH denied: Former Seattle slugger Edgar Martinez falls short on first Hall of Fame ballot - latimes.com
If Edgar had been a below average to poor leftfielder I think his outstanding offensive numbers would have gotten him in right away. But since it is a sort of referendum on whether ANY DH can be allowed in the Hall of Fame, it can’t happen right away. But if ANY DH EVER gets in, it better start off with Gar, for whom the DH of the year award is named. Career numbers over eighteen years: Two-time batting champion, five time DH of the year, three time leader in OBP. As the LA Times put it: “He's … one of eight players in baseball history to have 300-plus homers, 500-plus doubles, 1,000-plus walks, hit over .300 and have an on-base percentage of above .400. The other five on the list eligible for the Hall of Fame — Stan Musial, Rogers Hornsby, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ted Williams — are all in. The difference? Position players all, while Gar DH’ed. He will get in. He deserves it. And if he doesn’t get in I will be forced to scowl at Bud Selig next time we are in the same stadium!
Friday, January 01, 2010
Current Raiders flee from Leach's corner as Texas Tech saga heats up - Dr. Saturday - NCAAF Blog - Yahoo! Sports
What a difference a day makes. Up through last night, I had not been able to find any significant or detailed complaints against Mike Leach by player or coach, outside of James. The worm has begun to turn today, and though it will take some time for this to sort itself out, it at the least raises some questions over the Leach situation. ‘Course, this is the same coach he was when he was given an extension just eight months ago. The complaint of James’ media member father seems to have been a lonely one until the firing was done, and now that Leach is out, it reminds me of the way carrion fowl know when a critter is dead, and then begin to pick at the carcass. Why was the University so completely unconcerned with the habits of the man whose contract was famously extended only months ago? If this was on the radar, it ought to have been dealt with according to a process that gave both the coach and those who had complaints about his behavior and tactics a process to follow in reviewing the facts of the case before action was taken – whether that action was new guidelines and policies, suspension for a period, termination or no action at all. The way it comes off now, at least to me, is that the school reluctantly signed Leach to an extension at a point where his market value was very high. Unhappy that he’d talked to other programs to establish market value and gather information about other programs, the administration in the Tech athletics department singled Leach out, with no process to gain a fair review or inclusive hearing. Oh, and then there was that one factor that reeks like a road kill skunk after a week in the West Texas sun: Leach was due an $800,000 bonus if he were to be the head coach at Tech on Thursday, 12/31/09. This was a clause, by the way, inserted at the insistence of the school, still concerned about the potential for big offers from bigger programs. Leach was suspended because one player and his father complained. Dozens of players and coaches and former players backed Leach and indicated James was a grouser, averse to hard work, whiny and a sea lawyer to boot. Leach has an 83-43 record, a 5-4 bowl record, the second-highest winning percentage in school history (record set in the 1940’s). Graduation rates are up and have remained consistent under Leach. Why was it such an emergency that the Coach be given the summary boot, right NOW, without any process for addressing what he believed to be an unfair situation without any due process? Was that $800k he would earn by remaining with the team for another week?
Mike Leach might need to be disciplined. He might need to be fired. But for a school to extend a contract, offer a large bonus to keep the man from listening to other offers in a year he was in high demand, by offering him nearly a million dollars just to give a major incentive to Leach not to listen to suitors. it smacks of bad faith to me. And the taste left behind by terminating him the afternoon before his bonus was to be paid, when he had complied with the terms – against his own best interests as the school first suspended him without a process available to him to appeal without going to court. I can’t help but feel that the big shots at the top of the Tech Admin and Sports admin were looking for an excuse . If it turns out Leach is the sort of ass being asserted, i don’t care that they bagged him. But why no rumors before this? Why just one player and his former NFL dad? Why does he have a reputation that has been regarded as quirky but good among players, coaches, recruits, media,. etc. for years? MB
Technorati Tags: Sports. NCAA football. Texas Tech. Mike Leach
No rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide fraction in past 160 years, new research finds
I would love to have this explained to me in accessible, non-condescending terms that my small brain can digest. It looks like this is saying that the earth’s ability to absorb the same percentage of produced Co2 has remained unchanged over the past century and a half. Is this a meaningful number if total Co2 produced has risen significantly? That is, if oceans and plants are consuming 55% of the carbon dioxide produced, and have been for at least the past century and a half, then that either means that the total amount produced is rising due to human activity and though the percentage absorbed is constant, the rising volume means rising total levels. Is this then going to produce anomalies in the models used to predict climate change – anomalies tending toward overstating warming? Looking forward to your comments!
No rise of atmospheric carbon dioxide fraction in past 160 years, new research finds
Thursday, December 31, 2009
Nekkid but not Nice
This is one of the funnier stories I’ve read. Sad, for a number of reasons – 19 year old thief, toying with the emotions of the lonely dude, etc.) but funny in a way. The couple had been communicating virtually after meeting on MySpace. When the in-person meeting finally arrived, the woman appears to have given the man the impression she was way into him. Enough to get him in the shower, then step out saying she had a surprise for him. And she did. When he finally got suspicious (he says a minute later, I wonder if it was maybe when the hot water ran out, given how much the woman stole), he emerged to find his wallet, cell phone, laptop and then car missing. I’ll be getting the arrest report here if I can…
Monday, December 28, 2009
Pierce Co. deputy wounded in shooting dies - KING 5 TV
Pierce County Deputy Kent Mundell was removed from life support this evening just after 5:00 PM. His wife was at his side and his passing was said to be quick and quiet. The family members of the man who murdered Deputy Mundell and wounded Deputy Housner responded admirably according to this report, saving a wounded Hausner by pulling him into another room and barricading the door, while the murderer's daughter struggled with him trying to get his gun away from him. Deputy Mundell is the sixth Peace Officer shot and killed in the line of duty in the past two months in King County and Pierce County. Were I a more forgiving sort I might say something else, but I cannot do other than wish that they find themselves in the deepest, most Dantesque level of hell.
The memorial service will be Tuesday, January 5 at the Tacoma Dome, at a time which is as of yet TBA.
Hasselbeck is NOT What’s Wrong with the Seahawks
Four interceptions and that silly attempt to pitch back to Justin Forsett last week were really ugly plays. Really ugly. But do they tell us much about the competence of Matt Hasselbeck? Perhaps, but I am far more convinced that they speak of a Pro Bowl caliber signal-caller that feels he’s got to do far too much himself for this team to have a chance. He speaks of his failures, takes responsibility for the team’s shortcomings, acts like part real leader, part Custer at the last stand. I admire the hell out of Matt, and his toughness, integrity and esprit-de-corps.
This is a Quarterback who has been beset by every hardship that can come to a signal-caller. Poor blocking for the running game puts pressure on the play action passing game. The passing game is battered beyond recognition by the poor play of some of the receivers, the injuries to almost all the other receivers, the team’s inability to get in a rhythm, not just between QB and receiver, but in protection schemes, reading the defense and running the proper route, blocking which has had so many hurries, hits and sacks that it is no wonder Matt has been a different guy the last two years.
I put much of this squarely at the feet of Tim Ruskill, and the line he allowed to decline from the best in the NFL to one of the worst. It started with the loss of Hutchinson, to be sure, but it continued with young guys that flopped and an apparent disinterest in offensive lineman. The defense has had to play far too many minutes, from behind, and it has shown that no squad can overcome both key injuries and eons on the field between three-and-outs by the offense.
Sunday’s loss looked like a team that had given up, and a team that has been challenged, threatened and in the end, has not responded. Telling your team the league thinks they’re ‘soft’ is a far different thing than building an expectation of tough, physical play. I’m beginning to think Mora is more the guy who blabbed (jokingly according to him) to a Seattle radio station that he’d leave the Falcons even in a playoff run to get the Huskies job, than the guy who took over a Dan Reeves built team and took it on a good one-season roll. It is likely not fair to form a judgment on the head coach in one season, though I have no such qualms about the opinion formed over five years with the previous GM.
There will be some good draft picks to work with, and some money that can be freed up this offseason. Let’s hope the new GM starts fast, gives Coach Mora the tools, and that Coach Mora makes deft use of them – something I am just not sure he can do. I really hope so, and I do think it is unfair to him to give him just a season to change systems, personnel, schemes, etc, especially as the GM is let go. Next year, with some impact players and a season under the new offensive and defensive systems, and perhaps a Head Coach and staff that are settling in, we will see some real improvement.
Warner won’t be the zillion yard thrower he still is for much longer, most likely, but then, neither will Matt. Let’s not waste the franchise quarterback’s last good to excellent years. It ain’t that easy to find and develop the next one. Just ask around.
I Think I Like the M’s Trade of Morrow for League
I’ve not even seen Brandon League pitch once that I can recall, but he seems a great fit for the Mariners team as it is shaping up for next year. He gets a ton of ground balls – something he’ll be rewarded for by both a great defensive club and a pitcher-friendly Safeco Field. With the addition of Cliff Lee, it appears that the bullpen won’t have to eat so many innings, but League should be able to do a nice job setting up for Aardsma as well. Add in the Blue Jays Minor League Player of the year, and the trade makes good sense. I believe Brandon Morrow will become successful pitcher, but this trade gives the Mariners a couple of pieces of the puzzle, and Morrow a fresh start – which I really think he deserves. I have lots of criticisms of Bavasi and his handling of players, but Morrow was rushed into the closer role before ready, then had to learn his third and fourth pitches, build confidence in them in the majors, where you can’t ‘practice’ them. I hope he flourishes in Toronto, and that Seattle gets tons of later inning grounders for double-plays from League. And in some future time, maybe the Blue Jays’ minor league player of the year may give the M’s a bat and outfielder they sorely need.
Technorati Tags: Seattle Mariners,Mariners Player Moves,Brandon League,Brandon Morrow,Jack Zduriencik
17 Year Old Pleads Guilty in Ballard
In July a man described as ‘skinny’, dressed in head-to-toe black clothing and wearing sunglasses entered a convenience store and gas station along 15th Avenue Northeast in Ballard. He wasn’t there for an energy drink, but to rob the store, and before he left he would shoot and kill a twenty-eight year old man working at the store.
The store employee had been in the stock room at the back of the small store, and when he heard the door open he came out to attend the counter and register. The suspect crouched down and drew a handgun. When the clerk saw the suspect he attempted to detain him by grabbing his coat. The suspect fired twice, hitting the store clerk with both shots, wounds which would prove to be fatal. The store employee hung on and pressed the attacker onto a counter, but the shooter was able to break free. He ran from the store and down a side street. An alert person at the gas pump called 911, summoning police and an ambulance. The following video is from the store’s surveillance camera. Be warned that while the video feed does not show the shooting, it shows the moment just prior to it.
When police arrived, they found the victim in grave condition with gunshot wounds to the thigh and torso. Despite paramedics efforts he died en route to the hospital.
Police received another call the next day from a concerned resident who had found bloody clothes which had been discarded a block north of the murder scene. When police came to collect the evidence, an officer noticed a teenaged boy observing the police activity. The officer approached the young man and spoke with him for a few minutes. The boy said he’d heard gunshots the previous evening. The officer took the boy’s name, address and phone contact information and sent him on his way. A day later SWAT team members surrounded a home two blocks east of the location where the bloodied clothes had been discarded. The suspect, seventeen year old Elijah Hall, was taken into custody the next day when the crime lab matched his prints to some prints found in the store (and I would speculate that since the kid lived in the area near the store and could argue that his prints were present from shopping at the store, it is likely that his prints were pressed in the victim’s blood on the glass counter.
Gas station murder suspect ‘armed and dangerous’ » My Ballard
http://www.myballard.com/2009/11/12/teen-pleads-guilty-to-ballard-murder/
http://www.myballard.com/2009/07/26/gas-station-murder-suspect-armed-and-dangerous/
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2010264078_webballarddeath12m.html
http://www.myballard.com/2009/07/27/swat-team-surrounds-ballard-house/
Saturday, December 26, 2009
'I'm sick like grandpa,' Beacon Hill killer of mother and child wrote (Updated)
This sad, terrible story is a reminder of how the violence and abuse of one generation is often visited on the next. Most abusers and rapists have a history as sexual abuse victims. Many times violent criminals have experienced physical assault in their lifetime.
This sad situation in Seattle’s Beacon Hill neighborhood seems to have repeated a terrible family tragedy. Earlier this week, Daniel Hicks shot and killed Jennifer Morgan and the couple’s three-month old daughter, Ema Lyn Hicks. Police recovered more than twenty shell casings at the scene. Morgan and her child were shot and left to die on Monday – the day Ms. Morgan had told her mother that she was going to ask Hicks to leave the house. Morgan’s mother discovered the brutal, bloody scene on Tuesday morning. Hicks left a note to his brother, serving currently in Iraq, saying that he had the same sickness his grandfather had. In 1983, Hicks' grandfather, Dean Hicks, killed his wife, Lona Hicks, and then himself. Thought he couldn’t have memories of the event, Daniel Hicks was an infant at the time.
Hicks has been on the run since the crime was discovered, and there are reports that he called family members collect from the San Jose, CA area. The family member reported the call.
Hicks made the decisions, threatened and then killed Jennifer Morgan. He will bear the cost if apprehended, as the county prosecutor’s office has indicated that they will pursue aggravated first-degree murder charges.
UPDATE 1 (December 29, 2009)
Hicks was arrested without incident yesterday by police in Santa Cruz, CA. Investigators traced a telephone call he made to a relative to his location in Santa Cruz.
The Seattle Times is also reporting that Hicks’ Grandfather murdered an adult son as well as his wife before killing himself in 1983.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Two Pierce County Deputies In Critical Condition After Another Police Shooting – (Updated)
From Seattle Crime.com
The Pierce County Sheriff's office says two deputies responded to an Eatonville home shortly before 9:00 p.m. to deal with an "unwanted guest." Police say they received a call about two brother fighting in the home. Police say after deputies were invited into the home, David E. Crable went upstairs, grabbed a 
One deputy was taken to Harborview, and the other was flown to an army hospital. Both deputies are reportedly in critical condition.
According to Pierce County court records, Crable has previous convictions for assault and malicious mischief, and was named in at least one domestic violence protection order.
Police have released a photo of Crable:
This makes at least 8 cops in the last two months. Unbelievable.
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I am truly nauseous just thinking about this. It has to stop!
This one at first blush looks again like the perp intended to ambush Pierce County Sherriff Deputies when the responded to the domestic call. Thank God the officers were able to terminate with extreme prejudice this bucket of night soil (didn’t want to be too crass). This extreme violence against the men and women of our police forces HAS to stop. Anyone who doesn’t get it that each traffic stop could be a shootout, each domestic call carries with it the volatility to explode into violence like this – in fact, many cops view domestic violence calls as the most volatile and dangerous police call. This is making me feel sick. How do we put an end to this disturbing trend?
http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattle911/archives/188944.asp
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/home/index.html
Update:
The statements from the Pierce County Sherriff have been speaking of it in terms of an ambush. The man who shot the deputies was indeed the homeowner's brother. He had been the subject of the call to 911. Everyone in the house was very cooperative and the brother apparently agreed that since he was hammered he's let the deputies drive him to his own home. He went upstairs to get a jacket, returned concealing a firearm and then opened fire on the deputies from 4-6 feet away. He fired ten shots in rapid sequence. Crabbe was shot and killed when deputies returned fire.
For our men and women in uniform, sad to say, there is no safe situation right now. Even a cooperative guy can become an ambusher in the blink of an eye.
Update:
I think that from what my LE friends have heard, the guy was drunk but very cooperative, acted the Otis part. He was not being arrested, and was in fact grateful for the ride home that the deputies had offered him. At least that is what his smiling face and open body language said to the deputies. It was a tactical error to let the guy go get his coat without accompaniment, no doubt. I can only speculate that his demeanor, and the fact that he was gladly accepting a ride home rather than charges made the deputies let down their guard for just that moment. I am hoping against hope that both deputies fully recover and are able to return to duty, and I am glad that albeit in a different way, the deputies gave Cobbe a ride home - straight to hell.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Disappointing Comments from Jim Mora at Seahawks Presser…Leadership Comments from Matt Hasselbeck at the Same Presser
I can’t blame him on the one hand. Coach Mora that is. His team is now 5-9, fourteen games into year one of the “Mora Era” in Seattle. They have lost to good teams, but they’ve increasingly lost to poor teams, too, a trend perhaps hitting its’ nadir Sunday with a home loss to a 1 win Tampa Bay team. What was disappointing, as shown in the blog link below, was that Mora took every out he could for the abysmal play of a team he looks very much to be losing as the season dribbles to an end. Mora has gone from a position insisting that the team is thinking playoffs to now saying the team had a chance until Sunday’s loss to double the number of wins from last season. It took a row of articulated Metro busses and neat lines formed and waiting for a turn at being tossed under the bus. The head man seemed to be passing the buck to injuries, and a 4 win team last year; even referring to rebuilding after having taken reporters to task before the season for similar thinking. The post linked below also very insightfully points out that a “true leader” such as Matt Hasselbeck, asks for no cover, and accepts no quarter. Seeking no one to blame but himself, Hasselbeck said:
"I just feel like I let a lot of people down today," he said. "It's my fault. It's on me and I'll improve." Not one word about being pounded like a cheap flank steak game after game. Not one word about having a better completion percentage than last year. No, this leader simply says, ‘It’s on me, and I’ll get better’. Read the article for more.
The SunBreak | Sports | Jim Mora Tries to Save His Job with Revisionist History
Mike Holmgren to Cleveland
Everything I have heard from people who’ve spent a lot of time with Mariners CEO Leiwicki is that he is well-liked, well-respected and professional. Certainly, he seems to be taking a measured and thorough approach to re-setting the Seahawk organization for the future. And unless you’re one of those people who really wanted Mike Holmgren back with the team, a careful and deep look at what this team and organization need to get back to winning – to evaluating talent and getting the most from it; to demanding excellence from player, coach, scout and team staff.
I’d heard several times that Mike Holmgren had come to see himself in a role similar to that of Bill Parcells, as President of a team. I think that the Seahawks, with a Head Coach suffering through a dismal first season in which he is installing new systems, facing injuries similar in scope and impact to last year’s disastrous injury fest, to the recently departed GM, were in fact, a rather bad fit for Mike Holmgren at this juncture. Why? Simply put, the one job Mike seems to have wanted – the job of team president or CEO – was the one job not on the table with the Hawks. Tod Leiwicki is dialed in to both Vulcan and to sports organization management. He’s got a golden reputation, and if rumors are to be believed, Owner Paul Allen is very comfortable with what Leiwicki is doing and how he is doing it.
So, much as I love Mike Holmgren, and as strongly as I believe that winning Super Bowls is as much about the Head Coach, or the CEO/GM of a team exerting his will on the organization, this just isn’t the right situation for the Big Show any longer. As Owner Paul Allen fights his own high-stakes battle, he will want to know that the man running his sports interests is ‘his guy’, and will maintain continuity even if Mr. Allen is slightly less directly involved for a bit.
Today, the Cleveland Browns got their new President. A classy, determined, knowledgeable, and absolutely resolute winner with a solid gold resume. I have no doubt that five or six years from now there will be a dog pound in Cleveland that is watching a week in, week out winner. Maybe another Super Bowl winner.
So, am I sad that Mike Holmgren won’t be here? Yes. Very much so. But I am hopeful that Tod Leiwicki will make some deeply reasoned choices that will do what Green Bay leadership did when they brought in an unproven head coach and soon enough won that coveted Super Bowl. Will the new GM be able to work with the coach already here? Will the team be able to draft, sign, coach and motivate the kind of improvement that Coach Mora will need to keep his gig after next season?
I just don’t know. If reputations translated to accomplishments in all circumstances, then I’d be pretty durn confident of the Hawks future hire as team GM. But, as we all know, it is never that neat and tidy. Even had Mike Holmgren returned it wouldn’t be a clear-cut winning hire.
I attended nearly every Seahawks home game from 1976 through 1980 – my Dad got our family season tickets and we loved every minute of the Jim Zorn, Steve Largent, Jack Patera era. Later, in the 80s, I watched every game I could on TV, and when the local station decided to show another team instead, I formed a Sea Hawker fan club and we worked on getting the Hawks on in our area. I’ve been a fan across the three decades since the founding of the franchise, and I imagine I’ll be a fan as long as the team continues or I do. I loved having a winner. I reveled in the 2005 running game, which made Matt completely deadly. I’ve had bleeding gums and blistered eyes from watching the 2008 and 2009 teams, and for my own health I hope the turnaround is quick!
So, all I can do is wish Holmgren the very best. He is a great man, and a great football man, and I have no doubt he’ll take what he learned in his time as GM and apply it to make his time as team president a great success. And then I wish Tod Leiwicki the best in bringing in his team to give Coach Mora the players he needs to win. And then I wish Coach Mora success. He has some big shoes both literally and figuratively, to fill.
Seattle Post-Intelligencer: NFL/Football
Technorati Tags: Seattle Seahawks,Seahawks Football,Seattle Sports,NFL Football,Mike Holmgren,Jim Mora
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Mike Holmgren Won’t Be Rejoining Seahawks
If Mike Holmgren is using the Cleveland Browns to build urgency for the Seattle Seahawks and other teams who may have some interest in giving him the reins to their football operations, he is really spending a lot of time in that effort. Meeting for the second time with Browns owner Randy Lerner, Holmgren is spending a lot of time talking about the GM role in Cleveland for a guy merely building a market and urgency for himself. It will certainly cause ripples of unhappiness in the Seattle Seahawk fan base if the franchise doesn’t at least speak with Holmgren, so the next week or two should be pretty interesting. The main issue in Seattle could be that Mike wants to coach and be GM, and wouldn’t feel very good about dumping Jim Mora after one season. In Cleveland, there is a similar situation with Eric Mangini, but it is dissimilar as well since Holmgren spent a year with Mora tapped as his successor before he resigned, and I think he’d be reticent to make a coaching change after one or two seasons for a coach who inherited a 4 win team from Holmgren himself. Cleveland has been bad for years and I doubt it would be too difficult for The Show to make whatever changes he felt necessary to turn the franchise around.
I do hope the Hawks talk to him at the least.
Update: I guess they did talk yesterday and Holmgren declined to rejoin the team in the structure proposed by CEO Todd Liewicki. I’m sure we’ll hear more about what was offered soon.
Halladay, Lee deal could be done Wednesday; A's involved in trade - MLB - CBSSports.com Baseball
Is it too much to hope for? It sounds very much like the deal will be final today or tomorrow. I am imagining the Mariners tough bullpen, matched with a rotation of Felix Hernandez, Cliff Lee, Ryan Rowland-Smith, Brandon Morrow and possibly Luke French, Ian Smith, Silva, Vargas, Olson, or my favorite, Doug Fister. I’d love to see a rotation like this:
1. Hernandez – needs no explanation
2. Cliff Lee – needs no explanation
3. Rowland-Smith – pitched very well upon his return from injury.
4. Brandon Morrow – hopefully with more time throwing his new pitches, he’ll improve on an average year last season.
5. Doug Fister – I love Doug Fister’s stuff. His height gives batters a totally different angle and release point than they see normally, and the guy seems to be a very composed player.
That leaves lots of questions with Luke French and Ian Snell – both of whom may yet improve significantly under the M’s pitching and bullpen coaching -Carlos Silva, Jason Vargas, Chris Jakubauskas (who seems to pitch best in long relief, which is a great fit for this team at this time), Garrett Olson. That’s pretty good depth, and if Fister isn’t quite ready any of these guys can step in and eat some innings.
With a bullpen that was very strong last season, having a staff of starters that eat more innings, it will allow the manager to use the pen so heavily. A great strength:
Closer – David Aardsma'
Set-up – Mark Lowe
Middle Relief – White, Kelly, Corcoran
Long Relief – Jakubauskas
And if Jack Z can come up with another hitter or two, the team could very realistically contend for the division title.
Ichiro - RF
Figgins 3B
Lopez' 2B
Chavez LF
Gutierrez CF
Jack Wilson SS
Platoon DH
First Base
Rob Johnson C
The team sets up with very good pitching, excellent defense and range, and is improved on offense, though I think everyone hopes for another bat or two that can drive in Ichiro and Figgins consistently. Some have suggested Ichiro in the three hole, but I have a bias against primarily singles hitters hitting third. It might work, but I’d still rather see a powerful, speedy pair with great on-base percentages at the top of the order getting on base to set the table for the hitters in the middle of the order. I’d love to see Bay here, even though the home field wouldn’t set up well for him. He’d be excellent on the road, and can still hit doubles and the occasional homer at the Safe. So, I’d pull the trigger if we can get Bay. Nick Johnson would be a great guy at first, and if Branyan’s back is better (a big if) I wouldn’t mind seeing him back. I suppose that it is possible Bill Hall might have a resurrection season this coming year, or that Tuiasosopo or Michael Saunders might hit their big league stride, but I would really love to see the addition of the kind of player that gets the guy ahead of him some pitches to hit, and can drive in runs with decent power. Bay would be outstanding. Even Troy Glaus would be intriguing despite offseason surgery.
One thing seems certain, at least to me. Jack Z is not done adding parts to a team he has built in an amazingly rapid and brilliant way. Not wishing to overdo it with expectations, I do feel that this is now a team capable of 90-92 wins. Add some power and consistency in the middle of the order and then Mariners could be a contender for a World Series appearance. I’m not predicting that, but it feels like it is a greater possibility than for some time.
Halladay, Lee deal could be done Wednesday; A's involved in trade - MLB - CBSSports.com Baseball
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Mariners make waves: Figgins in, Lee next?
Last year, with a formula of great defense and squeezing as many runs from an anemic lineup as possible, the Seattle Mariners improved the team’s win total by twenty-four. Among the challenges faced by first year skipper Don Wakamatsu were the league’s worst on-base percentage and unreliable starting pitching after the Felix. And imagine HOW unreliable the third through fifth starters might have been without the strong defense. Already this off-season, we’ve seen Jack Z jettison underperforming, over-compensated players, freeing up room for him to make some serious moves to help the team take another step forward in 2010.
The addition of Figgins gives the team a second leadoff hitter – one who walked over a hundred times last season – to bat behind Ichiro. Some have hinted at Ichiro being moved to third with Figgins leading off, but I have my doubts as Ichiro doesn’t hit for extra bases as often as a typical hitter in the three hole. Something tells me the Mariners are not done adding bats yet, either.
Now to the pitching: With a rotation that already features King Felix and might end up with Cliff Lee as well, the Mariners remaining arms (Morrow, Silva, Rowland-Smith as well as the trade pickups at the end of the season, and even a possible return of either Bedard or Washburn), the rotation could be a real strength. And it is a helluva lot easier to attract top pitching talent to the friendly confines of Safeco Field, combined with the outstanding defense the Mariners have been playing.
Now the main question: Will the M’s be good enough to challenge for the division?
Local News | Mariners make waves: Figgins in, Lee next | Seattle Times Newspaper
Sunday, December 13, 2009
NFL GameTracker - CBSSports.com Seahawks at Houston
I was looking forward hopefully to the Seahawks game against the Texans today. Wins on the road have been hard to come by the last two years, but I was hopeful that the progress we’ve seen over the past two games would continue. Not so much. The Texans peeled off a nice 64 yard pass for a touchdown to start, then after a Seattle three and out, they popped a nice little drive for a field goal. Another Seattle three and out and the Texans drove easily for another score. Seahawks three and out and Houston has the ball back with 0:48 to go in the first quarter. The defense is in total disarray, and the offense looks like they’ve never played together before. I can’t watch this, so I have ceded control of the remote to my eight year old, and now it is iCarly on the TV, and I am following the other NFL games online. End of first quarter: 17-0 Texans. Opening the second quarter the Texans are driving already, from their thirty-five to another touchdown in five plays. 24-0 Texans, with 12:58 to go in the 2nd. Blecccchhhh!!!! Oh, and Hasselback was nailed hard three times on the next aborted drive, fumbling twice for his third fumble. Ryan punts and pins Houston on their own 3. Texas ball.
Update 1: Seahawks manage one TD drive. Matt Schaub has nearly 350 yards passing in the first half! The O line just plain sucks. Really sucks. Hard to watch sucks.
Update 2: Hasselbeck throws an out to the Texas cornerback and BOOM! 34-7. Hawks drive to the Texans ten before giving the ball back on a fourth down play. Houshmanzadeh didn’t even jump for the damn thing…then he gets an offensive pass interference. It sucks how inconsistent the Hawks are. Now Ray Willis gets his second false start, effectively killing a drive that reached the Houston ten with a first down. Ray Willis jumps offside for the third time, Now at 4th and 16 they go for it. Hasselbeck has no time and though he completes one to Forsett, it is nowhere close to a first. I’m off to eat sushi with the kids. this is too painful to watch any more.
Saturday, December 05, 2009
Development of new fiber type may revolutionize bandages and treatment of burn victims
With any trauma, and especially with burns, one of the most difficult and potentially deadly issue that commonly occurs is infection. Researchers have recently developed a new type of fiber which may take a huge step forward in reducing the risks of wounds developing infections.
According to Tel Aviv University Professor Meital Zilberman, he has developed a new fiber which can be used to make bandages which will both biodegrade over time while simultaneously releasing antibiotics into the wound as it heals. In this way, not only does the dressing not need to be replaced, but it actually fights infection in place. Not only do the bandages improve patient outcomes, he says, but they also will reduce costs (as bandages do not need replacement and medical personnel do not need to spend time changing them), reduce waste (forget discarding even one bandage, let alone several or more daily) and even allow environmentally friendly reductions in manufacturing by-products and energy usage.
The only drawback I can think of at the outset is that if all wounds are treated with antibiotics, would the process increase the pace at which bacteria are becoming anti-biotic resistance? I suppose the bandages would only be used in situations where a doctor would otherwise treat the patient with antibiotics, so perhaps that isn’t a significant concern. I’ve never before realized how complicated research into new bandages could be.
Washington over Cal
With a resounding five touchdown performance by Jake Locker leading the way, the University of Washington Huskies pounded nineteenth-ranked Cal 42-10. The home win was a fitting capstone for a resurgent program that in no way reminds me of the shambling, disorganized, under-coached, under-recruited Huskies of recent years. Finishing at 5-7 under first-year Head Coach Steve Sarkisian, the team won its’ final two games by a combined sixty-two point margin. Locker and the offense have been solid all season, if not always consistent, but perhaps the most encouraging element of the final games was the improvement in the defense. It hardly seems possible that this is a team just one season removed from an 0-12 debacle, and an overall 11-37 record in four seasons under former Head Coach Tyrone Willingham.
Locker’s stock with NFL scouts has skyrocketed this season, and with three touchdown passes and two rushing touchdowns today, Locker may find himself so highly regarded that he’ll be a very high pick in the NLF draft, should he choose to make himself available. Locker was 19-23 for 250 yards passing, and rushed for 82 yards on just 13 carries. Locker’s performance notwithstanding, the Huskies team has come together, with the defense improving and managing to stop an earlier season trend of giving up big plays. The improvement from zero to five wins in a single season marked just the eleventh time since 1945 that a team managed such a turnaround. And, if not for last-minute losses to Notre Dame, UCLA and Arizona State, the team might have managed an even greater turnaround and even earned a bowl berth. It was great to see the program improve so much in tangible results such as wins, but also in intangible ways harder to put into words, but resoundingly present. This team and program resembled a nice outboard motorboat after last year’s leaking tow man raft (with only one paddle). Not the cigarette boat fans hope to see sometime in the next few years, but an amazing and doubtless extremely encouraging improvement year-over-year as well as over the course of this season’s twelve games. Fans were heard chanting “Stay, Jake, stay” at Husky Stadium today and it sure will be fun if he does stick around for another season. Unless the Seahawks could end up with Locker via the draft (a longshot to be sure), I selfishly would love to see him play another year, and see where he might lead this team .
I recall the feeling of the eighties and early nineties under Coach Don James, and while there is a long ways yet to go before it is anything but breathless hyperbole to compare this team and program with that of the earlier era, it is clear that the team is heading in the right direction. Quickly.
Washington rolls to 42-10 romp over No. 19 Cal - College Football - Rivals.com
No. 6 Boise State completes second straight unbeaten regular season
Boise State defeated the lowly New Mexico State Aggies today by a score of 42-7 to complete the program’s second consecutive undefeated regular season.
With Florida’s poor showing against Alabama and Cincinnati’s one point comeback win over Pitt, it will be interesting to see where the Broncos wind up the regular season, having entered this week’s play ranked #6 in the national polls. In 2007 and 2008 BSU lost by a total of four points in two bowl losses, something I think has contributed along with the mediocre reputation of the WAC to the program’s difficulty in reaching the top 5 in the polls, and in gaining BCS bowl selection.
This season the Broncos may have some better arguments available to them, defeating No. 7 Oregon 19-8 in the season opener (Oregon won the Pac-10 and will play in the Rose Bowl), and a 44-33 victory last week a Nevada team that had won eight straight games. In addition, prior to today’s 42 point effort, the Boise State offense ranked second in the nation in scoring, averaging just over 44 points per game.
But how good is this program compared to the best teams in the nation? Already the winningest program in the nation over the last ten seasons (108-20), and with an amazing 38-1 record over the past three years, still Boise State was left out of the BCS bowl picture last season. Since joining the WAC in 2001, Boise State football has amassed an amazing 67-4 record. The team won the only BCS bowl to which the school has been invited (the greatest football game I have ever seen, by the way) defeating the Oklahoma Sooners 43-42 in overtime in the 2007 Fiesta Bowl. I’m not sure that Boise State can ever hope to win a national championship while in the Western Athletic Conference, as the competition just isn’t as tough as in the SEC, or even the Big Ten or Pac Ten. Even with the addition of a tough opponent or two – such as Oregon this season – BSU will find strength of schedule to be a problem in even reaching BCS Bowls, let alone the title tilt. Still, it is a great program for the fan: consistent winner, powerful offense, consistency through coaches, quarterbacks, running backs, etc. And, of course, the blue turf.
http://www.broncosports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9900&ATCLID=204844817
http://www.broncosports.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=9900&ATCLID=847518
CSI Canada ----BizarroComic.Blogspot.com
This cracked me up. I intend no disrespect to Canada or Canadians. Just thought it was worth blogging aboot.
![[bz+CanadianCSI+06-27-08WB.jpg]](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigS7pUT93IG3gNt3RTwbLkzfTUTdidXkc3rM2ak0QpTGD6NssnlVMpkqOLLmDCJOyO8MAfc4ZAAGeQxf-vJ6mXp4dy5C9Oby8VhLh4L8Bl_osDwpLENwriy5lQL8gYDRBU7b3-/s1600/bz+CanadianCSI+06-27-08WB.jpg)
Officer Richards' wife knew he would do his duty, no matter what
There are times when the written or spoken word offer us a glimpse of the experience of the writer or speaker. Often we simply write and speak in declarations, we make a point or state an opinion. Only now and then do we choose and dare to open the private shutters to our unique experience and point of view. In a beautiful, touching and overwhelmingly sad interview with Lynda Mapes of the Seattle Times, Kelly Richards has offered such a glimpse of her experience right now, days after her husband, Officer Greg Richards was killed when Maurice Clemmons ambushed him and three colleagues as they prepared for their shift at a coffee shop.
Officer Greg Richards
Ms. Mapes did a brilliant piece, allowing Kelly Richards experience speak to us from without being overpowered by a narrative. There are some very powerful insights, things I might not have realized otherwise. When Ms. Richards heard on the news that four officers had been killed at Cafe Forza, her heart sank and she began to frantically search for information. She hoped against hope that her husband was not one of the dead, but then she was struck by a realization. "…what are you hoping, for someone else's wife or husband to be dead?”
Ms. Richards even recounts discussing a situation where her husband might find himself in a life or death encounter:
"I had always told him, come home to us, get out, find a way out, if you can't shoot and kill him," Richards said. But she said she knew, like his colleagues, he would do his duty, no matter what.”
And,it was Officer Greg Richards who was able to wound Clemmons, before succumbing to his own injuries. The owner of Cafe Forza says that Officer Richards shielded customers and baristas by charging Clemmons and forcing him out the door, wounding Clemmons before falling himself. I can only imagine how proud Ms. Richards must be, and how desperately she might simultaneously wish her husband had somehow found a way out – a way home. I’ve linked to Ms. Mapes article below. It is well worth reading:
By the way, on December 8th and 9th, the very generous 40+ Papa Johns Pizza stores in Western Washington will be donating all profits to the families of these men. Don’t you think that you will have a special craving for Papa Johns Pizza on Tuesday or Wednesday? Some additional links to stories which might be of interest:
Details on Tuesday memorial for four slain officers
Sergeant Mark Renninger and his son, about two years ago.
Obituary for Sergeant Mark Renninger
Officer Tina Griswold a stickler for safety
Seattle Times Obituary for Officer Griswold
Officer Tina Griswold Memorial
Friday, December 04, 2009
New Yorker’s Subtlety
This photo made me laugh. If you’ve ever been around one of these alarms that goes off for five minutes every time a delivery truck goes by, you might laugh too.
Thursday, December 03, 2009
Cop killer's suspected get-away driver could face murder charges
Police have taken the man who is believed to have driven Maurice Clemmons away from the murder of four Lakewood police officers into custody and asked that he be held without bail on warrants from Arkansas. He may be charged with murder for his role in the escape. The man, Darcus D. Allen, is wanted in Arkansas for robbery, theft, and parole violations. He was convicted in Arkansas also of participating as driver in a robbery where two people were murdered. It is an eerily similar situation to the one that unfolded on Sunday in Lakeland.
This article in the Tacoma News Tribune also has a chronology of Clemmons movements.
Technorati Tags: Maurice CLemmons,Parkland Police Murdered,Crime,True Crime,Seattle Crime,Tacoma News Tribune
Wednesday, December 02, 2009
Daniel Henninger: Climategate: Science Is Dying - WSJ.com
Interesting commentary by Daniel Henninger in the WSJ. The shabby aspects of ‘climategate’ seem to deal more in attempts to block dissidents from publication and tricking numbers to manipulate them into being ‘right’ – that is, to reflect what the scientist in question assumed they would. The shoddy behavior of a few scientists does not change the facts. Whether the planet is warming, and whether the cause is human activity or not is not changed by a small group of ‘scholars’ attempting to trick the numbers or keep others who disagree from publishing. Henninger refers to Gallileo, and it doesn’t seem that much of a stretch to see global warming driven by human activity as an article of faith which must be served if one wishes to prosper in scientific endeavors. Scientists are called to a higher discourse and regard for free exchange of information and ideas. Though it does not change whether the earth is warming due to our activities or not, the behavior of our scientific community does bear on not only this question but the whole of scientific discourse. IMO.
Tuesday, December 01, 2009
Cop Killer Maurice Clemmons Shot to Death
Early this morning, despite a series of SWAT activities at locations police believed that Clemmons might attempt to hide himself, it appears that he was seen and identified by an officer on regular patrol. When the officer of Seattle Police located the man who killed in cold blood four Lakewood Police officers, he was armed with the sidearm of one of the officers he’d killed.
Assistant Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel, speaking to reporters this morning, indicated that a single officer noticed a stolen Acura left running along South Kenyan Street. He approached the car, looked it over and returned to his patrol car to do the paperwork and arrange for the car to be transported. As he sat in his patrol unit, the officer noticed in his side view mirror that a man was approaching him from behind. The veteran patrol officer jumped from the car, ordered Clemmons to halt and put his hands up. Chief Pugel said that Clemmons began to ran. Unwilling to allow the four-time killer to escape, the patrol officer fired three or four rounds, killing Clemmons.
This photo, taken by Joshua Trujillo/seattlepi.com, shows several Seattle Police Officers looking at Clemmons body as it is loaded into an ambulance for transport to the medical examiner. Trujillo and several of his colleagues probably worked almost without a break since Sunday morning, and have used Twitter to keep each other and some of us who follow them on that service up to speed on what each is seeing.
Troyer has said that Clemmons had told several relatives and friends to watch the news on Sunday because he was “going to kill a bunch of cops.” Apparently none of them reported the threat, and the next morning Clemmons acted on it. As suspected all day, Clemmons had been wounded in the torso, severely enough that Ed Troyer was somewhat surprised that he could get away.
A relative treated the wound on Sunday night, before it was joined by three or four additional gunshot wounds when Clemmons approached the Seattle patrol officer from the rear, then ran when the officer spun around and saw him.
Ed Troyer of the Peirce County Sherriff’s Department met with reporters early Tuesday morning. According to Troyer, three arrests have been made for "rendering criminal assistance" to Clemmons in his flight. Additionally, a fourth person is being detained for assisting Clemmons in escaping from the Parkland area after Sunday's shooting. Troyer also said he expects that an additional six or seven arrests will be made: "Some are friends, some are acquaintances, some are partners in crime, some are relatives," Troyer said. "Now they're all partners in crime."
Troyer said that family members were supplying Clemmons with cell phones, money and were working on getting him transported out of state. Troyer has also said that Clemmons had attempted to draw his pistol when the SPD officer ordered him to stop and show his hands.
CLIFF DESPEAUX / THE SEATTLE TIMES
Cliff Despeaux of the Seattle Times, who also must have been working since Sunday morning on this story (Despeaux tweeted that he began his day covering the Seattle Marathon on Sunday before the awful call came in and he headed to Parkland. He worked most of the next 48 hours shadowing SWAT teams as they fanned out to cut Clemmons off from additional aid from family and friends. The above photo is of the location where Clemmons was killed. His twitter account was ‘tweeting’ steadily for both days.
Lakewood Police Chief Bret Farrar came to the site of where Clemmons was killed early this morning. Farar said "I just want to thank all my brothers and sisters in law enforcement," he said. "I just can't say enough about what they've done in the last few days."
Update 1 (December 1, 2009)
Seattle Police Officer Benjamin L. Kelly has been identified as the officer who ended the criminal activities and life of the man responsible for killing in cold blood four police officers on Sunday, as well as a long string of assaults, armed robberies and most recently, charges that he raped a child. "It was incredible police work. He's an incredible officer. He is nothing short of a hero, although he would bristle at being called that," according to Seattle Police Officers Guild president Rich O'Neill. He added that Officer Kelly values his privacy and doesn’t seek the limelight.
"I told him, 'You caught the suspect responsible for the worst police massacre in Washington state history. You need to take a deep breath and soak that in.' ", O’Neill added. “He was alone, and was confronted by this guy, and knew it was him. "He wouldn't put his hands out, and to later find that he had the dead officer's gun on his person, one can only assume what he was approaching (Kelly) for".
Seattle police have said today that it is believed that the scene, beginning with a stolen car parked with the hood up and motor running, certainly suggested an attempt by Clemmons to ambush another officer. Assistant Seattle Police Chief Jim Pugel has said Clemmons approached Kelly from behind, when Kelly noticed him approaching, he jumped from the squad car to disarm and arrest Clemmons.
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Sunshine on Discovery Bay
As always, the photos we use are either my own, or in the public domain. Please let me know if there are any errors and I'll correct them immediately.
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