2 Pierce County deputies ambushed
http://www.king5.com/news/Officer-involved-shooting-in-Pierce-County-79875477.html
EATONVILLE, Wash.— A Pierce County sheriff's deputy is on life-support in critical condition after being ambushed by a man lying in wait with a gun inside a home Monday night, authorities say. He was one of two deputies shot after being welcomed into the home by the gunman's brother.
Deputy Kent Mundell is in ICU at Harborview Medical Center. Sgt. Nick Hausner is in serious condition at Madigan Army Medical Center.
Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said a sergeant and a deputy were shot at around 8:45 p.m. Monday while responding to a dispute between David Crable and his brother near Eatonville, a rural community in the Cascade foothills.
Crable, 35, shot the two officers before he was killed when they returned fire, Troyer said.
"We'll have to wait for the medical examiner office to confirm what rounds hit (Crable), but our belief is that our deputy hit him after he'd been shot multiple times," Troyer said.
The officers were greeted at the door by Crable's brother, while Crable was in the house arming himself, Troyer said. When the deputies entered the house, Crable opened fire from upstairs, hitting one of the officers multiple times.
"There will not be an answer that makes any sense, other than this guy wanted to kill the police officers, fire 10 rounds at them from 5 feet away," Troyer said Tuesday morning. "There was no intent other than that."
Crable's family tried to help the wounded officers by providing first aid and barricading themselves in a room away from the shooter, Troyer said.
"It looks like people that were in this residence went out of their way to help our people," he said.
Hausner, 43, is a 20 year veteran with the department. He is married with a 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son.
Mundell, 44, is an 8 year veteran. He is married with a 16-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.
"There are 14 or 15 deputies that cover this area and an equal number of emergency medical responders, Troyer said.
"Everybody that responded knew these guys and had been on calls with them for years. The fire department guys are probably taking this really hard too, because they were right there when this happened."
The shooting is the third in three months in which authorities say a gunman has taken aim at law enforcement officials in Washington state.
"Most people of the community as we have seen in the last few weeks have a tremendous regard for (law enforcement)," Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said at the scene late Monday night. "But there are people in the community that don't come from there, and that's the people we deal with day after day."
Pierce County sheriff's records show Crable was convicted earlier this year of exhibiting or displaying a weapon with intent to intimidate.
He also has been arrested for malicious mischief and assault and had a no-contact order by his 16-year-old daughter who lived with Crable's brother. Troyer said Crable had a history of "terrorizing" his family. He was arrested by Pierce County sheriff's deputies about a month ago for driving under the influence.
The Monday night shooting comes three weeks after four Lakewood police officers were shot and killed at a coffee shop before their shift. After a two-day manhunt, suspect Maurice Clemmons was shot to death by a Seattle police officer.
Throughout the night, Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor and other law enforcement officers stayed at Harborview lending their support to the wounded officer's family. Ed Troyer, who served as the Pierce County sheriff's spokesperson during the shooting of the four Lakewood officers, can't believe it's happened again.
"Just hoping it's better than the last one," said Troyer. "I just left the room with all the guys and everyone is just stunned. It's very quiet in there and the sheriff's in there. We know we have a job to do, just like we did a few weeks ago."
"It's hard. This is something that hurts your heart," said Pastor. "It's something that every member of a law enforcement family worries about, is in the back of their mind that might happened. Thank God it doesn't happen that often, but it's has happened far too often lately."
A month before, Seattle Officer Timothy Brenton was killed as he sat in his patrol car Halloween night. Christopher Monfort pleaded not guilty to aggravated first-degree murder in Brenton's death, as well as three charges of attempted first-degree murder and arson.
http://www.king5.com/news/Officer-involved-shooting-in-Pierce-County-79875477.html
EATONVILLE, Wash.— A Pierce County sheriff's deputy is on life-support in critical condition after being ambushed by a man lying in wait with a gun inside a home Monday night, authorities say. He was one of two deputies shot after being welcomed into the home by the gunman's brother.
Deputy Kent Mundell is in ICU at Harborview Medical Center. Sgt. Nick Hausner is in serious condition at Madigan Army Medical Center.
Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said a sergeant and a deputy were shot at around 8:45 p.m. Monday while responding to a dispute between David Crable and his brother near Eatonville, a rural community in the Cascade foothills.
Crable, 35, shot the two officers before he was killed when they returned fire, Troyer said.
"We'll have to wait for the medical examiner office to confirm what rounds hit (Crable), but our belief is that our deputy hit him after he'd been shot multiple times," Troyer said.
The officers were greeted at the door by Crable's brother, while Crable was in the house arming himself, Troyer said. When the deputies entered the house, Crable opened fire from upstairs, hitting one of the officers multiple times.
"There will not be an answer that makes any sense, other than this guy wanted to kill the police officers, fire 10 rounds at them from 5 feet away," Troyer said Tuesday morning. "There was no intent other than that."
Crable's family tried to help the wounded officers by providing first aid and barricading themselves in a room away from the shooter, Troyer said.
"It looks like people that were in this residence went out of their way to help our people," he said.
Hausner, 43, is a 20 year veteran with the department. He is married with a 14-year-old daughter and 12-year-old son.
Mundell, 44, is an 8 year veteran. He is married with a 16-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.
"There are 14 or 15 deputies that cover this area and an equal number of emergency medical responders, Troyer said.
"Everybody that responded knew these guys and had been on calls with them for years. The fire department guys are probably taking this really hard too, because they were right there when this happened."
The shooting is the third in three months in which authorities say a gunman has taken aim at law enforcement officials in Washington state.
"Most people of the community as we have seen in the last few weeks have a tremendous regard for (law enforcement)," Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor said at the scene late Monday night. "But there are people in the community that don't come from there, and that's the people we deal with day after day."
Pierce County sheriff's records show Crable was convicted earlier this year of exhibiting or displaying a weapon with intent to intimidate.
He also has been arrested for malicious mischief and assault and had a no-contact order by his 16-year-old daughter who lived with Crable's brother. Troyer said Crable had a history of "terrorizing" his family. He was arrested by Pierce County sheriff's deputies about a month ago for driving under the influence.
The Monday night shooting comes three weeks after four Lakewood police officers were shot and killed at a coffee shop before their shift. After a two-day manhunt, suspect Maurice Clemmons was shot to death by a Seattle police officer.
Throughout the night, Pierce County Sheriff Paul Pastor and other law enforcement officers stayed at Harborview lending their support to the wounded officer's family. Ed Troyer, who served as the Pierce County sheriff's spokesperson during the shooting of the four Lakewood officers, can't believe it's happened again.
"Just hoping it's better than the last one," said Troyer. "I just left the room with all the guys and everyone is just stunned. It's very quiet in there and the sheriff's in there. We know we have a job to do, just like we did a few weeks ago."
"It's hard. This is something that hurts your heart," said Pastor. "It's something that every member of a law enforcement family worries about, is in the back of their mind that might happened. Thank God it doesn't happen that often, but it's has happened far too often lately."
A month before, Seattle Officer Timothy Brenton was killed as he sat in his patrol car Halloween night. Christopher Monfort pleaded not guilty to aggravated first-degree murder in Brenton's death, as well as three charges of attempted first-degree murder and arson.
