The King County Sheriff’s Office is reporting that a high-speed chase on Tuesday (Mar. 1) that began in Covington ended in the restroom of the Tukwila Claim Jumper restaurant.

Here’s the full report from KCSO:

Just after 1:00 PM, a deputy assigned to patrol in the City of Covington spotted a blue GMC Jimmy SUV near the intersection of SE 258th ST. and 180th Ave. SE. The deputy was attempting to maneuver behind the vehicle to perform a stop for a traffic violation, but was blocked by several other vehicles. The SUV quickly turned and accelerated into a neighborhood. The deputy turned into the neighborhood several seconds later and saw the SUV several blocks ahead. A short time later, the SUV struck a tree in the 26000 block of 172nd Ave. SE, continued on for another block and then stopped. The deputy arrived at the vehicle and saw a male and female fleeing on foot. At this point, there had not been a vehicle pursuit as the deputy had never been close enough to the SUV to attempt the traffic stop.

Other deputies arrived in the area to assist in the capture of the suspects, including air support from the Sheriff’s Office Guardian-One helicopter. About 20 minutes later, a motorcycle was seen fleeing the neighborhood at a high rate of speed and nearly colliding with a roving patrol vehicle. Deputies began to pursue this motorcycle and believed that it was the male that had fled earlier from the SUV. As this pursuit was happening, other deputies at the original scene found and arrested the female that had run. She is 27-years-old and from Renton.

The motorcycle continued to flee from deputies and speeds were in excess of 100 MPH at times. The pursuit was terminated a short time later due to unsafe conditions. Guardian-One was able to follow the suspect from overhead as it continued around the Sea-Tac Airport area and then to the Southcenter Mall. The motorcycle apparently ran out of fuel and the suspect pushed it into the parking lot of the Claim Jumper’s Restaurant near the mall. Air Support updated deputies and watched as he fled on foot inside. Deputies arrived a short time later and found the suspect hiding in a stall in the restroom. He was arrested and found in possession of a handgun and suspected narcotics. He is 25-years-old and from Maple Valley. It was verified that he had also been the driver of the SUV in Covington.

A check of the motorcycle determined that it had been reported as stolen to the City of Kent police department on February 3rd. Deputies continue to investigate ownership of the SUV.

The male was booked into the Regional Justice Center in Kent for several felonies, including Investigation of Attempting to Elude, Investigation of VUCSA, Investigation of Unlawful Possession of a Firearm, and Investigation of Possession of a Stolen Vehicle. The suspect also had a misdemeanor warrant for his arrest for Assault 4th Degree (Domestic Violence) from Black Diamond.

Charges are still being considered for the female.

Here’s raw video of the ending of the chase from KOMO News, which shows the suspect, still wearing a white motorcycle helmet (HINT: next time you’re on the lam, try taking the bright object off your head), running around the restaurant before dashing in:

Click here to view the embedded video.

The Tukwila Police Department has partnered with the Preventing Auto Theft Through Regional Operational Links (PATROL) Task Force to distribute free steering wheel lock devices (aka “The Club”) to the owners of Honda Accords and Civics manufactured between 1991 to 1998.  These are some of the most commonly targeted vehicles by auto thieves.

Ten area police departments are participating in this program.

To get yours, contact Chris Partman of the Tukwila PD at 206-431-2197.

Here’s more info from a press release:

Due to the increase in thefts of Honda vehicles, several local police agencies are making The Club available to owners of 1991-1998 Honda Accords and Civics free of charge as part of the statewide authority to reduce vehicle crimes.

In 2007, the legislator created the Washington Auto Theft Prevention Authority (WATPA) in the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs (WASPC). The Authority consists of 10 Governor appointees serving staggered terms. Representatives of law enforcement, prosecution, the auto industry, the insurance industry, the Washington Association of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs and the private sector are included as members of the Authority. WATPA aims to reduce vehicle theft across the state and funds several regional task forces.

Own a '91-'98 Honda? You could a "Club" for free.

The Preventing Auto Theft Through Regional Operational Links (PATROL) Task Force is made up of all South King County police departments and Bonney Lake and Sumner Police Departments. Several cities which contract for police services with the King County Sheriffs Office also participate in PATROL.

As part of the PATROL task force’s auto theft prevention strategies, local police departments have a quantity of the steering wheel locking devices (The Club) available for free. To obtain the free Clubs, Honda owners must prove Honda ownership by showing a current Department of Licensing registration at one of the participating police departments. This offer is available only while supplies last.

“Vehicle thefts continue to be a crime plaguing the South King and North Pierce County areas. Remember, vehicle crimes are most of the time preventable. We know that auto thieves target certain vehicles and we hope through this initiative, the public will become better aware of their ability to prevent auto theft from occurring. Using devices such as The Club is absolutely recommended and a huge deterrent to auto thieves,” said Kent Police Lieutenant John Pagel, who also commands the PATROL Task Force.The Clubs are available for pick up at several police departments.

Other participating police departments and contacts are:

• Covington PD: Chief Kevin Klason, 253-638-1110
• Des Moines PD: Tonya Seaberry, 206-870-7619
• Federal Way PD: Kelly Crouch, 253-835-6710
• Kent PD: Sara Wood, 253-856-5851
• Maple Valley PD: Robin Larsen, 425-413-5158
• Newcastle PD: Aleta Phillips, 425-649-4444
• Renton PD: Cyndie Parks, 425-430-7521
• SeaTac PD: Ofc. Doug Reynolds, 206-973-4904
• Sumner PD: Det. Troy Nikolao, 253-299-5655

After William Joseph Madden, 33, was arrested early Monday in the 14700 block of 58th Ave S., he was alleged to have made several statements threatening Tukwila’s finest, along with their station. Tukwila officers were responding to a 911 call about a suspicious man prowling around cars.

KING reports that Madden made these statements:

“I’m gonna blow the Tukwila Police station up.”

“Tukwila’s a small place. It wouldn’t take much to wipe this [expletive] off the map.”

“I’ll burn the [expletive] [expletive] police station down. I’ll go up there and bust into them vehicles. The big vans up at the police station. Boom. Ba-Boom.”

“I will [expletive] shoot you. If I had a gun right now I would blow your [expletive] brains out. I would. I wouldn’t hesitate. I would shoot every one of you [expletive].”

Because of Madden’s big mouth, his bond has been set at $100,000.

It wasn’t until after cops put him in the back of their car that he opened his piehole and starting yammering with some serious threats, according to the police report.

Madden has been charged with Threats to Bomb or Injure Property, a felony.

Here’s KING’s video report:

According to our news partners at The Seattle Times, a Tukwila woman has been indicted on 10 counts of wire and mail fraud stemming from alleged thefts from Home Depot when she was an assistant to the company’s regional vice president.

The Times reports that Lori Wilson is accused of using her position to access the company’s internal expense- and time-keeping systems to apply for, then approve, reimbursement for $80,000 worth of “expenses” she never accrued and payment for overtime she never worked.

Read the full story here.

Early Saturday morning (Jan. 23rd) a Metro bus driver, 56, was assaulted in Tukwila, receiving injuries that sent her to Valley Medical Center.

And as police were converging on the scene, a King County Sheriff’s police cruiser crashed into one from a Tukwila Police officer. The Tukwila officer was treated at the scene, while the Sheriff’s deputy was taken to Valley Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Three persons were later arrested, one for the assault and two for vandalizing the bus.

The incident occurred just after midnight, when the Metro Route 124 bus stopped in Tukwila at South 144th and International Blvd. to let passengers off. A group of seven or eight youths gathered at the back door but only two got off before the doors closed. At least some of the group went to the front of the bus and the driver was punched in the head several times, knocking her unconscious.

Meanwhile two suspects kicked and hit the rear door of the vehicle, breaking glass and bending the door frame. All suspects then ran off.

A Tukwila Police K-9 dog tracked the group to a house in the 13700 block of 45th Ave South. Eight people were detained. Eventually witnesses from the bus identified three people who were directly involved in the altercation. They were arrested.

All three were booked into the Youth Center, including a 15 year-old boy from Renton, for felony assault. Two males were booked for felony vandalism, ages 16 and 17, from Tukwila and Kent, respectively.

A passenger called 9-1-1 from the bus after the assault, and as two police cars came to the scene, they crashed into each other.

A special “Tip-A-Cop” fundraiser is being held by the Tukwila Police Department this Friday night, Dec. 4th to help raise money for the families of the Lakewood Police Officers killed last Sunday (Nov. 29th).

The fundraiser will be at the Claim Jumper Restaurant (located at 5901 S. 180th Street in Tukwila), beginning at 4pm, and all donations collected between 4-11pm will go to a trust established for the families of fallen Lakewood Police Officers Mark Renninger, Tina Griswold, Greg Richards and Ronnie Owens, who were all shot and killed at a coffee shop in Lakewood this past Sunday.

As we reported on Nov. 29th, Officer Renninger served eight years on the Tukwila Police Department, and was most recently a member of the Lakewood P.D. and S.W.A.T. team. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Officer Mark Renninger

“Tip-A-Cop” is a great, fun fundraiser, where, for a small donation, you can pay to have a friend or family member “arrested” and taken out of the restaurant by uniformed cops. It’s all in fun, for a great cause, and from our own previous experience it provides a lot of laughs as well as a great way to meet and learn about local law enforcement.

Other participants will include Valley SWAT, Tukwila Fire Department and Les Schwab.

Sunday morning (Nov. 29th) four Lakewood Police Officers were shot and killed in a coffee shop when a suspect suddenly opened fire. Once of the victims, Sgt. Mark Renninger, served eight years with the Tukwila Police Department.

Here’s the most recent report:

Sergeant Mark Renninger, Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Greg Richards, and Officer Ronald Owen were shot and killed at a coffee shop in the Lakewood area.

A man entered a coffee shop where the four officers were working on their laptop computers. He stood in line and when he reached the counter he pulled a gun out of his coat and turned and started firing at the four officers. Two officers were hit before they could react, one officer was shot as he attempted to struggle with the gunman, and another officer fired toward the gunman as he fled, and may have hit him. Two employees and other customers were inside the coffee shop, but were not shot or injured. All four officers died at the scene.

Renninger was born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania and served in the military. He was one of six siblings, served on the Tukwila P.D., and was most recently a member of the Lakewood S.W.A.T. team. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Along with Sgt. Renninger, others slain include Officer Tina Griswold, Officer Greg Richards, and Officer Ronald Owen.

Griswold is survived by her husband and two children, Richards by his wife and three children, and Owen by his daughter.

On Sunday, numerous Facebook pages were created in the officers’ honors, including:

• A Facebook page was created in memory of Renninger
• A Facebook page for the four slain officers
• Another Facebook group created for all officers

Maurice Clemmons

The suspect has been identified as Maurice Clemmons, 37, of Tacoma. He apparently has a long criminal record with evidence of violence, erratic behavior as well as potential mental health issues.

We here at The Tukwila Blog (along with all our sister sites) send our condolences to all the families and friends, and hope that justice is served for this heinous crime.

Friday afternoon (Nov. 6th), shortly after Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton’s memorial concluded, a suspect named Christopher J. Monfort was shot outside his apartment building in Tukwila, prompting a massive outpouring of police to the area.

Police were apparently serving a search warrant on Monfort, 41, when he pulled out a weapon. He was shot on the scene and is currently under custody at Harborview Medical Center.

Monfort apparently attended Highline Community College in Des Moines, where he ran for student office in 2003.

According to HCC’s “Thunderword” student newspaper dated Nov. 20, 2003 (PDF link to issue), Monfort’s platform was:

“Christopher Monfort said he’s running to make the student body more aware of the civil liberties lost under the Patriot Act and the current political administration (Bush).

Monfort said students should vote for him because he actually cares about the world and wants to make a positive change.”

Monfort also studied law enforcement issues at the University of Washington.

Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton was shot and killed as he sat in his patrol car with an officer-trainee after a traffic stop on Capitol Hill on Oct. 31. Thousands of officers from around the country attended a memorial Friday afternoon for him at KeyArena in Seattle.

This program is designed to provide residents and merchants with first hand information about the operations of their local police department, as well as to strengthen the working relationship vital to problem solving and quality of life issues in our community.

The Tukwila Police Department is currently accepting applications for the program, will start Sept. 14th and meet each Monday and Wednesday from 6:30pm to 9pm for 6 weeks. The evening classes will be held at the Tukwila Community Center and will include some site visits in the area.

Topics being taught by police officers and other experts will include:

• Criminal and civil law
• Investigative procedures
• Use of force policy
• Patrol procedures
• Narcotics enforcement
• 9-1-1 communications
• Adult and juvenile courts
• SWAT
• Emergency vehicle
• operations
• Firearms training
• And many more!

Several hands-on sessions are planned so that participants have the opportunity to see first-hand what officers are exposed to on a daily basis.

Applicants must be 18 years old, live or work in Tukwila and have no felony convictions or outstanding warrants.  All applicants are subject to a background check.  A valid driver’s license is required to participate in the emergency vehicle driving exercise.

Here’s info from the flyer:

Did you know that the Tukwila Police Department made over 3,651 arrests and wrote 9,347 case reports during the last year?

Have you ever wondered why the police do the things they do?

Have you ever wanted to talk to a police officer about his or her experience as a law enforcement officer in your community?

What does it take to become a police officer?

If you are interested in the answers to these questions and would like to know more, you should consider attending the Tukwila Citizens’ Police Academy.

To register for the Citizens’ Academy, please pick up an application from the front desk at the Police Department (located at 6200 Southcenter Blvd.) or download one from the City’s website: http://www.ci.tukwila.wa.us/police/pdcrimep.html

Return the completed application to the Police Department by September 4, 2009

If you’re interested, here are some direct links (PDFs) you should download and read:

• View/Print the 2009 Citizen’s Police Academy Flyer
• View/Print the 2009 Citizen’s Police Academy Application

Each year, hundreds of Tukwila residents join their neighbors in celebrating an evening of fun while sending the message to criminals that they are not welcome in Tukwila!  Tukwila Police and Fire Departments as well as City Council members, Code Enforcement officers and Tukwila Human Services representatives will visit each neighborhood event that “registers” their event by this Wednesday, July 29th. Register early to receive a packet of crime prevention material to have on hand for your event!

Types of neighborhood events vary, from potluck bar-b-ques to pizza and pool parties, ice cream socials or coffee/dessert potluck. Think about a neighborhood clean up or a block work party to help out an elderly or disabled neighbor. Don’t limit your ideas! This is your time to bring your neighbors together for a fun evening.

Let’s make this the biggest Night Out Against Crime ever in Tukwila! Police and other City representatives will be available to visit your neighborhood event after 5 p.m. on Tuesday, August 4.

For more information, please contact Community Policing Coordinator Chris Partman at cpartman@ci.tukwila.wa.us or 206-431-2197 to register your event.

You can also register online here.