FOUR FALLEN OFFICERS

‘WE WILL REMEMBERTHEM ALWAYS’

A L A N B E R N E R / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

ABOVE: Gov. ChrisGregoire passes theflag-draped caskets

of the four Lake-wood police officers

after speaking attheir memorial

Tuesday in the Ta-coma Dome.

T O N Y O V E R M A N / P O O L / T H E O L Y M P I A N

RIGHT: Nearly20,000 law-en-

forcement officers,including a contin-

gent of the RoyalCanadian MountedPolice, attended the

memorial, whichbegan with a crispsalute to the slainofficers’ families.

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BY SHAILAGH MURRAYAND LORI MONTGOMERYThe Washington Post

WASHINGTON – Senate negotia-tors struck a tentative agreementTuesday night to replace the contro-versial government-run insuranceplan in their version of health-carelegislation, hoping to remove one ofthe last major roadblocks prevent-ing the bill from moving to a finalvote.

“We have abroad agreement,”said Senate Major-ity Leader HarryReid, D-Nev. “To-night, we’ve over-come a real prob-lem that we had.”

The announce-ment came aftersix days of virtual-ly round-the-clocknegotiations be-tween five liberals

and five moderates who had beentasked by Reid to work out their dif-ferences on the public option. Ap-pearing with Sen. Charles Schumer,D-N.Y., leader of the liberal faction,

and Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., themoderate leader, Reid declined todetail the agreement, pending a re-view by congressional budget ana-lysts.

However, asked whether theagreement means the end is in sightafter nearly a year of work on Presi-dent Obama’s most important do-mestic initiative, Reid smiled. “Theanswer’s yes,” he said.

Earlier in the day, the Senate re-jected an amendment that wouldhave barred millions of Americans

Senate reaches deal to strikepublic option from health bill

TENTATIVE AGREEMENTLIFTS A KEY ROADBLOCK

ABORTION-INSURANCEAMENDMENT FAILS

The clock is ticking as thenational debt reaches

$12.1 trillion > Close-up, A3

Senate MajorityLeader HarryReid

See > INSURANCE, A10

BY DOMINIC GATESSeattle Times aerospace reporter

Chicago-based United Airlinesannounced Boeing’s biggest orderof the year Tuesday, for 25 of its787 Dreamliners.

But it was a sale split evenlywith Airbus, which received an or-

der for 25 of its larger twin-jetA350s.

United’s wide-body fleet has un-til now been all-Boeing.

Still, with United in a precariousfinancial position, aviation ana-lysts were divided on whetherUnited’s choice is a straw in thewind that demands a strategicshift from Boeing to safeguard thefuture of the 777 — a key money-maker for the company.

The order was notable for whatwas not included. United wants toreplace its aging 747 jumbo jetsbut at the same time downsize itsfleet. So it took a pass on both theAirbus A380 superjumbo and Boe-ing’s new version of the jumbo,the 747-8.

And though it could have down-sized to the Boeing 777, it choseinstead the similar-sized A350-900, scheduled to debut in 2013.

So is the 777, the most modernof Boeing’s current production

Airline’ssplit ordera warningfor the 777?UNITED PICKS AIRBUS A350

OVER 15-YEAR-OLD JET

Boeing does snag big Dreamliner order

See > BOEING, A11

Seattle Times staff

There was biting cold andhours of waiting. There weremourners pouring in by the busload, from Bozeman and Boston,Las Vegas and Lake Stevens.There was pain and sadness andanger.

Yet at the memorial service forthe four fallen Lakewood policeofficers held Tuesday at the Ta-coma Dome, it was strikinglyquiet.

For the thousands of mourn-ers who came to pay their re-spects — the vast majority ofthem in law enforcement —words seemed to matter little.The ceremony was about broth-erhood. It was about ritual andtradition. And it was a glimpseinto a world that most of us canlittle comprehend.

Ten days ago, the communitywas torn apart when Sgt. MarkRenninger and Officers TinaGriswold, Ronald Owens andGregory Richards were shot todeath as they sat in a coffeeshop, working at their laptops.

Now, to begin to heal fromwhat the governor called the“darkest day in the history of lawenforcement in Washington,” itwas time to come together.

Hundreds line routeThe day began before 9 a.m. at

McChord Air Force Base, wherelaw enforcement from morethan 370 agencies mustered tobegin a somber 10.3-mile driveto the arena. Two thousand ve-hicles long, the processioncrawled. It would take until 2p.m. for the last car finally to ar-rive — an hour after the memo-rial was scheduled to start.

As the temperature hovered inthe 20s at McChord, an Air Forcesergeant in his blue dress uni-form stood at attention, un-flinching, for three hours and 15minutes, until the final car leftthe base.

“It was what I felt I needed todo,” said Sgt. Chad Gloor.

People from the communitygathered along the processionroute. Before last week, the offi-cers were unknown to much ofthe outside world. Tuesday, thepassing of these strangers’hearses brought tears.

Hundreds lined a stretch ofSouth Tacoma Way, holdingflags and signs, taking photosand videos. Some stood with

VAST ‘OUTPOURING OF

LOVE’ | A procession andmemorial on Tuesday drewthousands who came to paytheir respects to four slainLakewood police officers.

See > FAREWELL, A12

A12 News WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009 1 ROP

FOUR FALLEN OFFICERS

E L L E N M . B A N N E R / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

A Puyallup police officer salutes as a hearse carrying the casket of one of the slain Lakewood officers passes the Lakewood Police Department headquarters Tuesdaymorning. A procession of about 2,000 law-enforcement vehicles lasted more than three hours as it made its way from McChord Air Force Base to the Tacoma Dome.

D E A N J . K O E P F L E R / T H E N E W S T R I B U N E

The procession begins at McChord Air Force Base, passing a flag hanging from crossedfire ladders. The sprawling procession’s tail end was still at the base a half-hour afterthe memorial was to start. The service began more than an hour later than planned.

M I K E S I E G E L / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

Bothell police Officer Dan Christman salutes as law-enforcement vehicles, red and bluelights flashing, pass on South Tacoma Way. Hundreds lined that stretch of the route.

E L L E N M . B A N N E R / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

A boy holds up asign for officers

to read as theprocession

crawls along the10.3-mile routeto the TacomaDome. He wasstanding near

Lakewood policeheadquarters,where hearses

and limousinescarrying the

fallen officersand their

families joinedthe procession.

their hands over their hearts,weeping quietly. Officerstouched their hands to theircar windows as they passed.

Eileen Melberg, whoworks at a law firm along theroute, said seeing the flag-draped coffins made hergasp.

Roxanne Clouse, barelyable to speak without crying,said she “wanted to be a partof this, support the ones whoare here and let them knowthey all matter. I’m here tofeel the cold for those thatcan’t.”

At the Dome, snipers stoodon the roof with binoculars

and high-powered weapons,scanning the crowd. Bomb-sniffing dogs were at theready. In all, scores of offi-cers were on the job workingat the event, whether it waschecking IDs at the entrygates or helping close off thestreets nearby.

With warnings aboutcrowds and parking prob-lems, members of the com-munity were encouraged towatch the service from satel-lite locations and to leave theDome to the law-enforce-ment family. As a result, thearena was filled with uni-forms, with few outsiders.

A brotherhood of blueOfficers came from the

New York Police Department

and from the Menominee In-dian Reservation, from Ari-zona and Boston. They worebomb-squad black and RoyalCanadian Mounted Policered. They wore the uniformsof the military, the state De-partment of Corrections andthe Federal Protective Ser-vice.

By 10:30 a.m., the arenaplaza that typically bustleswith the whoops of sportsfans or the strains of countrymusic was somber. Beforethe procession approached,officers formed two lines,standing shoulder to shoul-der and creating an aisleleading to the entrance.

And they waited. Theydidn’t crane their necks tosee what was going on; theydidn’t chat or even shiver,though they wore no over-coats. They stood in silencewaiting for the hearses to ar-rive.

Helicopters buzzed over-head. A bugle cried out. Bag-pipes began a dirge.

The event would be“steeped in tradition,” one ofthe organizers said. And itwas. Four white hearsespassed under an enormousAmerican flag that had beenhung between the crossedladders of two fire engines.On command, the hearsedoors were opened in un-ison, the caskets were pulledout, and the pallbearers tookup their burdens.

Family members followedthe caskets, arm in arm. Butthe service couldn’t yet be-gin. There were still hun-dreds of cars in the proces-sion that had not yet arrived.

Inside the Dome, officersmilled around quietly.

“It’s the same job any-where you go,” said Luis Tur-caz, an officer with the Las

< FarewellFROM A1

Continued on next page >

Procession brings tearsto the eyes of strangers

1 ROP WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 9, 2009 News A13

Sgt. Mark RenningerSgt. Mark Renninger, 39,

was a former Army Ranger, anationally known SWATteam trainer and the rock ofhis department. He was alsoa devoted family man whowas raising three childrenwith his wife.

Sgt. Renninger grew up inBethlehem, Pa., where hewas a star high-school foot-ball player. After the Army,he joined the Tukwila PoliceDepartment in 1996 andmoved to the Lakewoodforce in 2004.

He was in charge of the in-terjurisdictional MetroSWAT team and a member ofthe Washington State Tacti-cal Officers Association’s ex-ecutive board. His family andfellow officers said he had awonderful sense of humorand a talent for police work.

Officer Ronald Owens

Officer Ronald Owens, 37,was a second-generation po-lice officer, a former statetrooper and the loving fatherof a 7-year-old daughter.

Officer Owens grew up inPierce County, excelling inbasketball and baseball. Hewas hired by the State Patrolin 1997 and joined the Lake-wood police in 2004.

Fellow officers said he al-ways smiled, never let policework get him down andtreated all with respect. Theysaid he was a trustworthyfriend and a hard worker,whether helping to processevidence or helping tochange a motorist’s tire.

Officer Tina Griswold

Although she stood just 4feet, 11 inches tall, OfficerTina Griswold, 40, im-pressed colleagues over a14-year career in law en-forcement as a tough copwilling to go into any situa-tion.

Officer Griswold joinedthe Shelton Police Depart-ment in 1995 and in 1999moved to Lacey, where shebecame the only woman toserve on the force’s tacticalsquad and to completeSWAT training.

A wife and mother of two,Officer Griswold was recruit-ed to Lakewood’s new policedepartment in 2004. Shespent four years as a schoolresource officer. One teachersaid that Officer Griswoldshowed students that a smallperson can do a big job.

Officer Gregory Richards

Officer Gregory Richards,42, was the glass-half-fullguy, the one who saw thebetter view of any situation,said his widow, Kelly.

Born in Lynwood, Calif., hebegan playing the drums atage 8, developing whatwould become a lifelong pas-sion for music. He playeddrums in a police rock band.

He enlisted in the Army in1985, and served until 1989.Officer Richards hired on atthe Kent Police Departmentin 2001, and joined the Lake-wood force in 2004. A fatherof three, his friends said hewas family man first and acop second.

It was Officer Richardswho got off the shot thatwounded shooter MauriceClemmons.

FOUR FALLEN OFFICERS

How to helpTHE LAKEWOOD PoliceIndependent Guild isaccepting donations for thefamilies of the four slainpolice officers. Checks can bemade to the LPIG BenevolentFund and sent to P.O. Box99579, Lakewood, WA98499. Donations also can bemade online at www.lpig.us.

A L A N B E R N E R / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

Members of Officer Gregory Richards’ family watch as law-enforcement officers file out of the Tacoma Dome at the conclusion of Tuesday’s memo-rial. Officer Richards’ 16-year-old son, Austin, spoke at the service, saying his father viewed his job as an honor despite its stresses.

A L A N B E R N E R / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

A riderless horse precedes the hearses past a row of officers from the Royal Canadi-an Mounted Police.

A L A N B E R N E R / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

Four teams of six law-enforcement officers carefully lift the flags that draped each casket before folding the flagsand presenting them to surviving family members.

Vegas Metropolitan PoliceDepartment. “I can’t tell youhow many times I’ve sat at aStarbucks, face to face withanother officer. I’m watchinghis back and he’s watchingmine.

“You’re in uniform. You’rearmed. You think you’resafe,” he said. “This couldhave happened to any of us.”

Turcaz, like officers fromseveral other jurisdictions,left a police patch near thestage, a show of respect to letthe families know thatLVMPD was there.

Three officers stood nearthe flag-draped caskets —hands clasped, eyes down-cast, unblinking, as if theywere in a trance. Members ofthe honor guard, they’repracticed at this routine, butno one can stand this way fortoo long. In a slow and elabo-rate ritual, the officers wererelieved by other members ofthe honor guard every 15minutes or so, over and overuntil the funeral was over.

Just after 2 p.m., anotherhonor-guard contingent be-gan marching toward thecenter aisle of the stadium.Family members followed ingroups of 20, 30, 40 for eachofficer. Some held teddybears and some were inwheelchairs. A little boy letout a quick wail, and wasscooped up by his mother.The bagpipes began again.

It would be another half-hour or so for the speakers tobegin, but the audiencedidn’t squirm.

Memories of the fallenShortly before 3 p.m.,

Lakewood Police Chief BretFarrar spoke of the fallen of-ficers. “I wish they could seethe outpouring of love we’veseen in the last week,” hesaid. “The hug meter must beup 10- or 12,000 by thispoint. Everywhere I go, I geta hug.”

Friends, family and col-leagues then spoke about thefallen officers.

Renninger was a SWAT of-ficer, through and through, aguy who seemed to knowwhere to find the crooks,even when they were on therun.

“We didn’t need a canine,”said Mike Villa, assistantchief of the Tukwila PoliceDepartment, where Rennin-ger worked before joiningLakewood. “We had theman-tracker working on ourcrew.”

Griswold may have beensmall, but she was tough,said her friend Pamela Bat-tersby. “She was a tomboywho loved riding motorcy-cles and mixed martial arts.”

But Griswold “also had asoft side and enjoyed being awoman,” Battersby said.

Owens loved sports, mo-torcycles and of course hisdaughter, said his older sis-ter, Ronda LeFrancois. Inhigh school, he entertainedher friends by break dancingin the kitchen and singingBarry Manilow songs.

“I would do anything to goback to those days,” LeFran-cois said, holding back tears.

Richards “had a smile andlaughter that radiated likesunshine,” said his 16-year-old son, Austin. Just abouteverything made him happy.

“We were always No. 1,”Austin said. Despite the pres-sures of the job, “he didn’tbecome more hardened orangry, just more thankful.”

His 15-year-old daughter,Jami-Mae, said her fathercollected lifelong friends.“My dad knew how to spot agood person and value themalways.”

Gov. Chris Gregoire spokelast, offering her condo-lences to the families on be-half of the state.

“We will remember themtoday,” she said. “We will re-member them always.”

Around 5 p.m., three hoursafter the ceremony started,the honor guard began lead-ing the families from the sta-dium.

A recording made by aLakewood police dispatcherwas played over the loud-speaker, announcing each of-ficer by number, and then:“Gone but not forgotten.”

This story was reported by staffwriters Maureen O’Hagan, Marc

Ramirez, Jack Broom, LynnThompson, Christine Clarridge,

Mark Rahner and JonathanMartin. It was written by O’Hagan.

< Continued from previous page

“You’re in uniform. You’re armed. You think you’re safe. This could have happened

to any of us.”LUIS TURCAZ

Officer with the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department

WEB EXTRA

See more onlineWatch video from theprocession, view an audioslide show from the service,read full obituaries on thefour officers and more.seattletimes.com

A L A N B E R N E R / T H E S E A T T L E T I M E S

Hands clasped, Officer C. Stetkar of the Hollywood, Fla., police, stands in the hon-or guard. Those serving were relieved by other officers every 15 minutes or so.