TACOMA, Wash. (AP) — A Pierce County Superior Court judge has refused a request by The Seattle Times and other news media to release more than 2,000 pages of law-enforcement reports and other records about the fatal shootings of four Lakewood, Wash., officers.
Judge Susan Serko ruled Monday that releasing the records might jeopardize fair trials for seven people charged with crimes related to the shootings. The defendants are relatives or associates of Maurice Clemmons, who shot the officers on Nov. 29 in a Parkland coffee shop. Clemmons was shot and killed by Seattle police after a 40-hour manhunt.
The Pierce County sheriff’s office had planned to disclose the records under a public-disclosure request by The Times. However, lawyers for the defendants objected, citing their clients’ fair-trial rights.
Managing Editor Suki Dardarian says The Times will appeal the decision.
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Information from: The Seattle Times, http://www.seattletimes.com
