10
10 YEARS,
10 YEARS, THAT IS HOW LONG IT HAS BEEN SINCE ONE OF THE
MOST HORRIFIC POLICE SHOOTINGS
IN THIS COUNTRY'S HISTORY.
NOVEMBER 2009 A MAN WITH A
GRUDGE AGAINST LAW ENFORCEMENT
WALKED INTO A COFFEE SHOP IN
LAKEWOOD AND GUNNED DOWN THESE
FOUR OFFICERS.
FOUR OFFICERS. AT THE TIME NOTHING LIKE THIS
HAPPENED IN THE U.S. IT TORE
FAMILIES APART.
FAMILIES APART. AND IT ALSO BROUGHT PEOPLE
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. IT RENEWED A SENSE OF
VIGILANCE TO POLICING THAT
MADE THE DEPARTMENT AND PEOPLE
OF WASHINGTON STRONGER.
TODAY PIERCE COUNTY'S SECOND
LARGEST CITY IS THRIVING.
BUT IT WILL FOREVER BE SCARRED
BY WHAT HAPPENED 10 YEARS AGO.
ON A SUNDAY MORNING A
CONVICTED FELON WALKED THROUGH
THE DOORS OF THIS COFFEE SHOP
AND SHOT FOUR OFFICERS TO
DEATH.
DEATH.
DEATH. CHIEF MIKE WAS ASSISTANT CHIEF
AT THE TIME AND HAS BEEN BACK
HERE EVERY ANNIVERSARY.
>> THE FIRST TIME IT WAS MORE
ABOUT HAVING A JOB TO DO.
>> Reporter: HE AGREED TO SIT
DOWN WITH US IN THE COFFEE
SHOP.
SHOP.
SHOP. IT
SHOP. IT HAS BEEN RENAMED BLUE STEEL
AND ITS WALLS PAY TRIBUTE TO
THE OFFICERS KILLED THAT DAY.
>> NO PROVOCATION.
IT WAS A KIN TO SOMEONE
WALKING IN AND SETTING OFF A
BOMB.
BOMB.
BOMB. >>
BOMB. >> Reporter: ON THE DAY WE
LOST SERGEANT MARK RENNINGER,
MARK RICHARDS, OFFICER TINA
GRISWOLD, AN OFFICER RONALD
OWENS.
OWENS.
OWENS. THE DAY ITSELF WAS BAD ENOUGH.
THE WEEKS AND MONTHS THAT
FOLLOWED WERE A COMPLETE FOG.
>> THERE WAS NO ROADMAP.
WE COULDN'T SAY OKAY, WE JUST
HAD FOUR OFFICERS KILLED, HERE
IS OUR NEXT STEPS.
BECAUSE NO ONE HAD GONE
THROUGH THAT BEFORE.
>> I KNEW THEM WELL.
I WORKED WITH THEM SINCE THE
DAY THEY STARTED.
>> Reporter: LIEUTENANT JEFF
WAS THE FIRST OFFICER ON THE
SCENE.
SCENE.
SCENE. HE
SCENE. HE NEVER TALKED ABOUT IT
PUBLICLY UNTIL NOW.
HE SAT WITH ME FOR THE FIRST
TIME AT THE FALLEN OFFICER
MEMORIAL IN FRONT OF THE
DEPARTMENT.
DEPARTMENT. >> I FELT LIKE IT WASN'T REAL.
IT WAS NOT UNTIL AFTER I
WALKED OUT AND REALIZED THAT I
NEEDED TO MAKE SOME PHONE CALLS
TO THE CHIEF AND THE ASSISTANT
CHIEF. I KNEW I NEEDED TO
ACTIVATE THINGS AND GET PEOPLE
MOVING.
MOVING.
MOVING. BECAUSE WE WERE IN A HORRIFIC,
TRAGIC EVENT THAT WOULD REQUIRE
A TON OF SUPPORT.
>> Reporter: THE FIRST CALL
WAS TO YOUR WIFE.
>> YES.
>> YES.
>> YES. >> Reporter: KRISTA.
HIS ROCK OF 25 YEARS IN GOOD
TIMES AND IN BAD.
WHY?
WHY?
WHY? HOW?
HOW?
HOW? THERE WAS ANGER, FEAR, AND
THAT WASN'T UNREASONABLE GIVEN
AN ACT THAT DEFIED REASON.
AN ACT THAT PUTS SO MUCH
STRAIN ON SO MANY FAMILIES.
HE CREDITS HER RESILIENCE FOR
KEEPING HIM ON TRACK, HELPING
HIM FIND A PATH TO HEALING.
>> IT IS OKAY TO ADMIT YOU ARE
HURTING AND IT IS OKAY TO SEEK
PROFESSIONAL HELP.
PROFESSIONAL HELP. >> Reporter: AND HE DID ON THE
FIRST ANNIVERSARY OF THE
SHOOTING.
SHOOTING.
SHOOTING. INSTEAD OF GATHERING WITH
OTHER OFFICERS TO REMEMBER THE
FALLEN FOR, HE GATHERED THE
COURAGE TO ASK HER HELP.
>> I DON'T THINK I RECOGNIZED
HOW DIFFICULT IT WAS.
I FEEL LIKE I JUST WENT BACK
TO WORK, THAT WAS THE BEST
THING I COULD DO WAS GET BACK
TO WORK.
TO WORK.
TO WORK. I WENT THROUGH A PERIOD OF
TIME WHERE QUESTIONED WHETHER
OR NOT I WANTED TO KEEP DOING
THIS JOB.
THIS JOB.
THIS JOB. FIELD SKI COUNSELING WAS NO
PART OF THE JOB.
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE AS HE
CALLS IT TO KEEP HIS MIND IN
CHECK.
CHECK.
CHECK. TIME HAS ALSO HELPED BUT IT
MAY NEVER HEAL ALL THE WOUNDS
HERE.
HERE.
HERE. >>
HERE. >> I DON'T KNOW THAT I HAVE
TRULY GOTTEN OVER IT.
BUT, EVERY DAY, EVERY YEAR
THAT GOES BY IT GETS A LITTLE
EASIER AND IT IS NOT IN THE
FOREFRONT OF MY BRAIN.
THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT
HAVEN'T HEALED YET OR HAVEN'T
COMPLETELY COME TO TERMS WITH
IT.
IT.
IT. THERE
IT. THERE ARE SOME PEOPLE THAT
THAT IS STILL AT THE FOREFRONT
OF THEIR MOTIVATION EVEN TO
COME TO WORK.
>> Reporter: FOR THOSE
INVOLVED IN THE TRAGEDY LIFE
WILL NEVER BE THE SAME.
FOR THEM IT IS ABOUT FINDING
PEACE.
PEACE.
PEACE. >>
PEACE. >> I USED TO NOT BE ABLE TO
DRIVE BY THE COFFEE SHOP AT
ALL.
ALL.
ALL. I
ALL. I WOULD AVOID THAT DIRECTION.
I CAN DRIVE BY IT NOW.
I DON'T STOP. I HAVE NEVER
BEEN BACK.
BEEN BACK. I DON'T NEED TO.
♪ ♪
♪ ♪
♪ ♪ >>
♪ ♪ >> Reporter: PHOTOJOURNALIST
RYAN BEARD HOPING ME OUT.
THE LAKEWOOD 4th PERIOD, THE
LAKEWOOD FOR THANKS GIVING
WEEKEND AND KENT MONDELLO A
FEW DAYS BEFORE CHRISTMAS.
ALL OF THOSE EVENTS BROUGHT
LAW ENFORCEMENT CLOSER
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER.
TOGETHER. A COUPLE OF OTHER NOTES THE
SHOOTER IN THE LAKEWOOD FOUR,
WE HAVE THE ANNUAL FALLEN
OFFICER FOOD DRIVE THAT THEY
DO EVERY YEAR IN THE COMMUNITY.
IT TURNS OUT HUGE AND THAT IS
ON THE 26th JUST A COUPLE DAYS
BEFORE.
BEFORE.
BEFORE. >> THE IMPACT WAS SO FAR-
REACHING.
REACHING.
REACHING. THE SEATTLE MARATHON WAS RUN
ON THAT SUNDAY.
IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE IT HAS
BEEN 10 YEARS.
>> THE CITY AND THIS STATE
STOPPED AND THE FAMILIES ARE
STILL DEALING WITH THIS.
I TALKED WITH ONE MEMBER AND
SHE SPEAKS WITH SEVERAL
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE.
PEOPLE. NO ONE WANTED TO COME ON
CAMERA.
CAMERA.
CAMERA. THEY HAVE NOTHING TO GAIN.
THEY ARE STILL FRUSTRATED AND
WAITING FOR CLOSURE.
THERE WERE SOME PROSECUTORIAL
MISSTEPS. ONE PERSON IS STILL
IN JAIL AWAITING TRIAL NEXT
YEAR AND THAT IS WHAT PART TWO
WILL FOCUS ON