Maurice Clemmons' Sister Sentenced
A Pierce County Superior Court judge Thursday sentenced LaTanya Clemmons to five years in prison for helping the suspected getaway driver after the murders of four Lakewood police officers in November.
Clemmons' brother, Maurice, committed the worst violence against police in state history when he shot and killed Lakewood police Sgt. Mark Renninger and officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens and Greg Richards in a Parkland coffee shop early on Nov. 29. A Seattle police officer shot and killed Clemmons 40 hours later, following a massive manhunt.
Judge Stephanie Arend told Clemmons that although her actions "would not have changed the fate of the officers," they did delay the capture of the getaway driver and prolonged the anxiety of the community and the officers' grieving families.
LaTanya Clemmons, 34, had no criminal history and potentially faced six to 12 months under the standard sentencing range. But prosecutors argued that the extraordinary facts of the case merited an extra-long sentence. Arend agreed.
