19,2000 mourners expected for memorial for fallen officers gunned down

Procession for slain Lakewood police officers arrives at Tacoma Dome
The memorial procession and service honoring four slain Lakewood police officers gets underway in Tacoma.

Seattle Times staff


Flag-draped caskets for the four slain Lakewood police officers were wheeled into the Tacoma Dome as hundreds of members of law enforcement, holding crisp lines in their dress uniforms, watched in silence.

The procession for the memorial service began at 10:05 a.m. at McChord Air Force Base as 2,000 law enforcement vehicles, red-and-blue lights flashing, crawled along a somber, 10.3-mile route. The procession was so sprawling that the tail end was still at the base as the hearses were parking at the Tacoma Dome.

Gov. Chris Gregoire, scheduled to speak at the memorial, called it "the darkest day in the history of law enforcement in Washington."

The service will begin about 45 minutes later than the planned 1 p.m. start time because of the size of the procession.

The enormous contingent represented more than 300 agencies and thousands of law-enforcement officers, among them an estimated 600 from British Columbia, 100 each from Chicago and New York, and others from Boston, Bozeman, Mont., Salem, Ore., and every corner of Washington state. FBI Director Robert Mueller planned to attend.

Lakewood police Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Tina Griswold, Gregory Richards and Ronnie Owens were gunned down by Maurice Clemmons on Nov. 29 at a Pierce County coffee shop. It was worst attack on law enforcement in the state's history.

About 19,2000 mourners, mostly law-enforcement officers, were anticipated at today's memorial, making it the biggest such event in state history. About 2,500 seats were set aside for the public, on a first-come basis. Others will be watching on live television and at three off-site viewing locations.
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