Northwest briefly: Suspect in Seattle police killing rants at hearing
Published 10:44 pm Friday, April 30, 2010
SEATTLE — A man accused of killing Seattle police officer Timothy Brenton of Marysville spoke out against police brutality in court on Friday.
Just before his pretrail hearing, Christopher Monfort alleged there was a subculture of police officers who protect corrupt colleagues. Monfort suggests citizens have a responsibility to defend themselves and their children.
Monfort is charged with killing Seattle officer Brenton on Halloween night. He has pleaded not guilty.
At the end of the hearing, Monfort asked to speak with the presiding judge, Ronald Kessler, in private. Kessler told Monfort to write him instead. Monfort also spoke out in court last month, about a former King County sheriff’s deputy who was accused of assaulting a teenage girl in a holding cell in 2008.
1 dead, 1 hurt in shooting
King County sheriff’s deputies say a 12-year-old boy was shot to death in the Skyway area and a man in his 20s critically wounded. Sheriff’s Sgt. John Urquhart said the boy was shot when gunfire broke out at a nearby apartment complex Thursday afternoon in the neighborhood south of Seattle. He says it isn’t clear whether the 12-year-old was at the apartments or simply passing by. Urquhart said no arrests have been made and detectives are investigating whether the gunfire is gang-related.
Des Moines chief withdraws bid for police chief job
The number of candidates for the job of Seattle police chief is down to 10 with the withdrawal of Des Moines, Iowa, Chief Judy Bradshaw. The Seattle mayor’s office said she informed the search committee Friday she had decided not to pursue the position. The search committee will interview the candidates May 8 and recommend three finalists to Mayor Mike McGinn.
Suspect in Shoreline beating surrenders
A Shoreline man accused of beating his sleeping roommate in the head with a table leg turned himself in to King County sheriff’s deputies. Stephen Pollock, 23, was jailed Wednesday night for investigation of assault. He’s accused of beating his 36-year-old roommate Sunday while he was napping on a basement couch. He’s in critical condition at a Seattle hospital.
Spanaway: 3rd home-invasion robbery in Puget Sound area
Pierce County sheriff’s deputies said a home-invasion robbery Friday afternoon in Spanaway does not appear related to similar crimes in the region earlier this week. Sheriff’s spokesman Ed Troyer said two men went to the home south of Tacoma, forced their way inside and tied up at least three victims with duct tape. No arrests have been made. Two home invasion robberies occurred earlier this week in Pierce and Snohomish counties after the victims were targeted through Craigslist ads. On Wednesday, 43-year-old James Sanders of Edgewood in Pierce County was shot to death in a robbery after he posted an ad offering a diamond ring for sale.
Anacortes: Refinery to be closed through June
Tesoro Corp. officials say the Anacortes refinery where seven people died in an explosion and fire will likely stay closed through June and possibly longer.
The company’s director of investor relations, Scott Phipps, made the announcement to industry analysts on Friday. The Skagit Valley Herald said it was told by Tesoro spokesman Lynn Westfall that the statement was only meant to help analysts with financial modeling, not a business decision on how long to keep the plant closed.
The cause of the April 2 fire hasn’t been determined. But federal investigators say the victims apparently were engulfed in “a firewall” that ignited within seconds.
Tacoma: Vehicular homicide charge
The driver accused of killing a 15-year-old girl in Milton has been charged with vehicular homicide. The News Tribune of Tacoma reported Robert Mitzel, 47, of Milton also was charged Friday with failure to remain at the scene of a fatal accident. Charging documents say he was driving a van that struck Kelsey Parrett on Wednesday night as she walked with a friend along the shoulder of a road. Mitzel asked the friend if she was calling 911, then drove to his nearby home, walked back to the scene and talked to police.
Kirkland: Alligator removed from home
King County officials say a 4-foot alligator has been removed from a Kirkland home by animal control officers. Officials said the owner of the alligator fully cooperated with authorities. Under Kirkland law, it’s illegal to have exotic animals without a permit. The animal — named “Bruiser” — was being housed in an unheated enclosure in the owner’s garage. The alligator has been moved to a reptile specialist in Monroe who will foster the animal until a suitable home is found.
Olympia: New state lottery director named
Gov. Chris Gregoire appointed Bill Hanson on Friday as director of the state Lottery. He has been a member of the Lottery Commission for the past five years. Hanson is a former Washington State Patrol officer, former executive director of the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs and most recently executive director of the Washington state Fraternal Order of Police. Hanson will earn $115,000 a year when he takes over May 16. The governor’s office said Chris Liu is leaving after five years in the job.
New Washington state fire marshal named
The chief of instruction at Washington’s Fire Training Academy is the state’s new fire marshal. State Patrol Chief John Batiste announced Friday that Charles Duffy has been chosen for the job. The fire marshal’s office handles fire education, safety inspections at public and state-licensed buildings, and enforcing fire regulations.
Tacoma: Woman’s body found in crawlspace
Police are looking for a Tacoma couple suspected of killing the man’s 65-year-old mother and hiding her body in the crawlspace of her home. The News Tribune of Tacoma reported arrest warrants on murder charges were issued for 39-year-old Thomas Al Bienville and 31-year-old Austa Marie Bienville. Police found the body of Lurinda Hughes on Wednesday under her house. The Pierce County medical examiner’s office says she had been hit on the head and shot in the chest.
Disbarred lawyer gets three years for fraud
A disbarred Gig Harbor attorney has been sentenced to three years in prison for mail fraud. Bruce Hawkins, 50, took fees from more than 1,000 clients promising he could erase their credit card debt. Prosecutors said he touted a bogus legal theory that national banks could not lend credit, and therefore the clients didn’t have to pay.
U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan sentenced Hawkins in federal court on Friday. The judge said he expects Hawkins to pay full restitution in an amount to be determined later. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman says Hawkins took advantage of people when they were most vulnerable. He was disbarred in 2006 after the scheme came to light.
McCleary: $25,000 reward to find girl
The reward for information in the disappearance of an 11-year-old McCleary girl is now $25,000. Grays Harbor County Undersheriff Rick Scott told KXRO he hopes a renewed search Monday will lead to Lindsey Baum. She disappeared one night last June while walking home from a friend’s home.
Federal Way: Fuel spill reaches Puget Sound
A diesel spill into a creek at Dash Point State Park in Federal Way has reached Puget Sound. TV helicopter video at dawn Friday showed a sheen on the water. The Coast Guard and state Ecology Department responded to the spill overnight, and workers put absorbent pads in the creek in an attempt to prevent the diesel from reaching the sound. The agencies said the diesel apparently spilled from a 300-gallon tank for construction equipment. It was discovered Thursday evening by a state parks ranger.
The South King County Fire Department is using booms and absorbent pads that were stored by the Ecology Department in a trailer at the nearby Des Moines Marina.
Seattle: Defendant pleads guilty in arsons
A homeless man accused of setting a string of fires in Seattle’s Greenwood neighborhood pleaded guilty Friday to 11 counts of arson. King County prosecutors are seeking a 30-year prison term when 46-year-old Kevin Swalwell is sentenced. He was arrested Nov. 13 near the scene of a three-alarm fire that destroyed a vacant warehouse in Shoreline. He also was accused of setting fires that damaged restaurants, small businesses and a theater in the Greenwood neighborhood. The fires caused more than $2 million in damage. One man suffered burns. Swalwell has a criminal record that includes previous convictions for arson and was under community supervision by the Department of Corrections during the series of fires last fall.
Suspect in Shoreline beating surrenders
A Shoreline man accused of beating his sleeping roommate in the head with a table leg turned himself in to King County sheriff’s deputies. Stephen Pollock, 23, was jailed Wednesday night for investigation of assault. He’s accused of beating his 36-year-old roommate Sunday while he was napping on a basement couch. He’s in critical condition at a Seattle hospital.
Red light camera stolen
Police are looking for a red light camera that was stolen from a Seattle intersection. The SeattlePI.com reported it was knocked down when a car hit a pole April 3 at an intersection.
The camera is one of the cameras at 21 intersections in the city. They’re used in the system that photographs cars running red lights and sends tickets to the owners.
Vancouver, Wash.: BPA defends need for new line
Go east! That was the message protesters delivered to a Bonneville Power Administration office in Vancouver in a demonstration against a proposed high-voltage line through southwest Washington.
Many people want the agency to move the proposed route farther away from residential areas between Castle Rock and Troutdale, Ore.
The Columbian reported a BPA engineering vice president, Larry Bekkedahl, spoke with the demonstrators Thursday. He said the new line is needed to meet the demand for power along the Interstate 5 corridor, especially with the increasing use of air conditioning.
The agency is expected to narrow the possible power line routes this summer and make a final decision on the project in 2012.
Mount Rainier: Cayuse Pass opens; crews now clearing Chinook
After clearing snow for a month, state Department of Transportation crews reopened Cayuse Pass at noon Friday on Highway 123 on the east side of Mount Rainier. The department said crews are now turning their attention to nearby Chinook Pass on Highway 410 and hope to have it open by May 28.
From Herald news services
