Officers attend Lakewood memorial
Candice Boutilier/Columbia Basin Herald<br> The Moses Lake Police Department Honor Guard performs during a dedication ceremony at the 2007 Moses Lake Spring Festival.
TACOMA — Columbia Basin police agencies attended the memorial in the Tacoma Dome for the four slain Lakewood police officers killed in a coffee shop last month.
The honor guards from the Moses Lake Police Department and Grant County Sheriff’s Office participated in the memorial ceremony Tuesday.
“It was a very humbling experience to go over there,” said Moses Lake police Sgt. Brian Jones.
He said he was proud to see such a large turnout but hopes it is never necessary for such a proceeding again.
“It was an amazing show of support by everybody at such a tragic event,” Jones said.
He explained it shows there is a strong community not willing to put up with the actions rendered on Nov. 29, when Sgt. Mark Renninger and Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards were murdered.
Other Moses Lake police officers participating in the honor guard were Cpl. Tom Tufte, Cpl. Juan Loera and officer Ray Lopez, said Moses Lake police Capt. Dave Ruffin.
Several other officers from local agencies attended the memorial service.
Deputies Darrik Gregg, Ken Jones, Ron Renken and Larry Sanchez attended the service as Grant County’s honor guard, said Grant County Undersheriff John Turley. Fourteen more deputies joined them in attending the service.
“It’s an awful shame and an awful waste of life of people, who have dedicated themselves to serving a public that sometimes are difficult to serve,” said Turley.
Communities in Grant and Adams counties are honoring the fallen officers in their own ways.
During the Tuesday night Moses Lake City Council meeting, Mayor Ron Covey held a moment of silence for the officers prior to beginning the meeting.
Last Tuesday, the Quincy City Council also held a moment of silence during their council meeting honoring the victims.
Stevens Funeral Chapel in Othello is displaying a banner at their building honoring the officers.
Shooting suspect Maurice Clemmons, 37, was shot last week by a Seattle police officer after a two-day manhunt. According to police, Clemmons singled out the officers in the coffee shop and customers and employees were not injured.