>>>
>>> HE
>>> HE WAS AN ARMED DOMESTIC ABUSER WHO IGNORED A COURT
ORDER TO TURN HIS GUNS OVER TO
POLICE.
POLICE.
POLICE. TWO OFFICERS NEARLY PAID FOR
THAT WITH THEIR LIVES.
>> IT HAPPENED IN KITSAP COUNTY
WITH THE KING5 INVESTIGATORS
HAVE PREVIOUSLY REPORTED ON
PROBLEMS ENFORCING THAT SO-
CALLED WEAPON SURRENDER ORDER.
HOW THAT FAILURE THREATENS NOT
ONLY ABUSER'S FAMILY, BUT THE
PUBLIC AS WELL.
>> Reporter: THIS SHOOTING
HAPPENED ALMOST A YEAR AGO BUT
NOW THAT THE INVESTIGATION IS
CLOSED, THE STORY CAN BE TOLD.
WE WILL TELL IT WITH THE ACTUAL
RADIO CALLS AND THE EVIDENCE
FROM THE POLICE FILES.
>> I THINK THAT SUV IS DOWN
HERE IN THE
>>
>> SHOTS
>> SHOTS FIRED. >> SHOT FIRED, SHOTS FIRED, MAN
DOWN.
DOWN.
DOWN. >>
DOWN. >> 911.
>> 911.
>> 911. >> I HEARD THE SOUND OF GUNSHOTS
.
.
. >>
. >> ALL
. >> ALL UNITS, SHOTS FIRED, MAN
>>
>> Reporter: A MONTH-LONG POLICE INVESTIGATION DETERMINED
THATFIRED 20 SHOTS HERE BEFORE
HE WAS KILLED BY OFFICERS
RETURNED FIRE.
RETURNED FIRE. THOUGH SHOTS LIKELY CAME FROM
GUNS THAT McCORD WAS ORDERED TO
SURRENDER IN COURT ONE MONTH
EARLIER.
EARLIER.
EARLIER. THIS WEAPON SURRENDER ORDER
FILED IN KITSAP COUNTY SUPERIOR
COURT 33 DAYS BEFORE THE SHOOT
OUT REQUIRED McCORD TO
IMMEDIATELY TURN OVER ALL HIS
GUNS TO
IT
IT WAS
IT WAS ISSUED TWO DAYS AFTER 911 CALL FROM THIS BREMERTON
HOME.
HOME.
HOME. McCORD ATTACKED HIS WIFE AND
RESPONDING POLICE
THAT
THAT ORDER WAS ISSUED IN KITSAP COUNTY SUPERIOR COURT WE ARE A
PREVIOUS KING5 INVESTIGATION
FOUND THAT UP TO 80% OF
DEFENDANTS IGNORE WEAPON
SURRENDER ORDERS.
SURRENDER ORDERS. MANY OF THOSE ARE CIVIL ORDERS,
NOT CRIMINAL, FILED IN DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE CASES, THAT MEANS NO
PROSECUTORS INVOLVED AND THERE
IS NO ONE TO ENFORCE AN ORDER
THAT AS MANY AS 80% OF
DEFENDANTS THE FIVE.>> WHEN I
COMMUNICATED THAT NUMBER TO OUR
PRESIDING JUDGE, HE WAS VERY
CONCERNED ABOUT THE NUMBER.
>> Reporter: SUPERIOR COURT
ADMINISTRATOR FRANK MY AGO
STARTED SENDING OUT THESE
NOTICES TO THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE
AFTER OUR STORY.
IT IS NOT A PERFECT SYSTEM, BUT
HE HAS REPORTED A HANDFUL OF
VIOLATORS WHO OPENLY DEFY
JUDGES ORDERS TO TURN OVER THE
GUNS.
GUNS.
GUNS. DEVON SMITH OF PORT ORCHARD IS
CHARGED WITH LYING TO A PUBLIC
SERVANT AND FAILURE TO
SURRENDER A WEAPON AFTER HE
ALLEGEDLY TOLD POLICE HE HAD NO
GUNS WHEN SERVED WITH THE
SURRENDER ORDER IN A DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE CASE.
VIOLENCE CASE. HIS GIRLFRIEND LATER REPORTED
THAT SHE FOUND HIS GUNS AS
THESE POLICE EVIDENCE PHOTOS
SHOW, HIDDEN UNDER THE BED IN
THE HOME THEY USED TO SHARE.
>> WHEN THEY TELL YOU TO TURN
OVER YOUR GUNS, WHAT IS NOT
CLEAR ABOUT THAT?
>> I JUST HAD SOME STUFF I HAD
TO LOOK OVER.
>> Reporter: SMITH WAS CAUGHT
NOT BECAUSE THE COURT REPORTED
HIM, RATHER HIS GIRLFRIEND
CONTACTED SHERIFF'S DEPUTIES.
THAT IS SOMETHING THAT MANY
VICTIMS ARE TOO FRIGHTENED TO
DO, FOR FEAR OF A SCENARIO LIKE
THE McCORD CASE.
HIS BEST FRIEND TOLD DETECTIVES
AFTER THE SHOOTING THAT McCORD
WAS MILD-MANNERED.
WAS MILD-MANNERED. BEHIND THAT EXTERIOR, HE'S
INCREASING DRINKING AND ERRATIC
BEHAVIOR MADE HIS WIFE TO FEEL
FULL -- TO FEARFUL TO TELL
POLICE ABOUT HIS
YET
YET TWO
YET TWO DAYS LATER SHE CALLED POLICE, ADMITTING McCORD HAD A
STASH OF GUNS IN SPITE OF THE
KITSAP COUNTY SURRENDER ORDER.
SHE SAID WILLIE McCORD
THREATENED HER WITH THE 357 AND
PREVIOUS VIOLENT INCIDENTS.
THAT IS THE SAME CALIBER
HANDGUN HE FIRED AT BREMERTON
OFFICERS ACCORDING TO THEIR
LIEUTENANT.
LIEUTENANT. >> I AM CERTAIN THAT WHEN THEY
PULLED UP ON THAT CAR, THAT IS
NOT WHAT THEY WERE GUESSING
WHAT
I
I CAN
I CAN ONLY IMAGINE THAT IT WAS SHEER TERROR. ANYTIME 70 HAS
ONE GUN AND THEY ARE SHOOTING
AT YOU, LET ALONE TWO.
>> Reporter: BOTH OFFICERS
RETURNED TO DUTY AND ARE
WORKING NOW PROSECUTORS
DETERMINED THE SHOOTING DEATH
OF WILLIE McCORD WAS JUSTIFIED.
BEFORE THAT FATEFUL NIGHT,
McCORD'S ESCALATING BEHAVIOR
BROUGHT HIM TO THE ATTENTION OF
POLICE MEN , IN MANY CASES
THREATS AND ABUSE ARE KEPT QUIET
AND BEHIND THE SCENES AND ABUSE
OF HOUSEHOLDS AND THAT IS WHY
IT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR
AUTHORITIES TO FOLLOW UP AND
ENFORCE WEAPONS SURRENDER
ORDERS IMMEDIATELY.
ORDERS IMMEDIATELY. WHEN THERE IS A GUN IN THE MIX,
A DOMESTIC VIOLENCE VICTIM IS
UP TO FIVE TIMES MORE LIKELY TO
BE MURDERED.
BE MURDERED.