The News Tribune's Lights & Sirens blog provides breaking news, updates on on-going investigations and insights into other news from the Tacoma, Pierce County and South Puget Sound criminal justice community. It also gives The News Tribune an avenue to interact with readers, answer “What was that?” questions and provides a venue for readers to ask about on-going criminal justice issues and problems in their neighborhoods. The blog aims to inform, educate and, at times, entertain with weird or wacky crime news.
Stacey Mulick covers Pierce County crime and safety issues for The News Tribune. She’s worked at The News Tribune since May 1998. Contact her at stacey.mulick@thenewstribune.com.
Adam Lynn covers courts as part of the Crime and Breaking News Team at The News Tribune, where he’s worked since 2003. Lynn has spent nearly half of his 21-year career chronicling criminal justice matters in Washington and won reporting awards for his coverage of serial killer Robert Yates. “The Corpse Had a Familiar Face” by renowned Miami Herald reporter Edna Buchanan is among his favorite books. You can contact him at adam.lynn@thenewstribune.com.
Brian Everstine is a night breaking news and general assignment reporter for The News Tribune. The Spokane native arrived in Tacoma in the summer of 2008 and still is adjusting to life on this side of the mountains. He has written for papers in the Tri-Cities and his hometown. Contact him at brian.everstine@thenewstribune.com.
Occasional contributers:
Database reporter Ian Demsky, ian.demsky@thenewstribune.com.
General assignment reporter Mike Archbold, mike.archbold@thenewstribune.com.
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UPDATE as of 2:55 p.m.: Law enforcement officers have taken a fourth person into custody who is believed to be part of the investigation. He was taken into custody at a Tacoma residence without incident.
The man arrested this morning in Fife had been detained and interviewed at the Lakewood police headquarters. We believe he's might be on his way to the jail now.
NEWEST INFORMATION: Lakewood police have arrested three people in connection with deadly shooting of the armored car guard.
Lakewood police Lt. Heidi Hoffman says one of those arrested might be the gunman. Investigators are not saying any more.
Detectives are searching for at least one more person - possibly more - in the shooting.
The two men and woman arrested so far were taken into custody without incident. A 41-year-old man and 42-year-old woman were arrested together shortly before midnight at a Pierce County address, Hoffman said. They were in a vehicle together.
This morning, a 35-year-old man was arrested during a traffic stop in Fife. The arrest was without incident, Hoffman said. Officers impounded the car the man was in and served a search warrant on a motel room.
OLDER POSTS
ANOTHER UPDATE: KIRO TV is reporting the suspected gunman is custody.
UPDATE: Another man has been arrested in connection with the Loomis armored car robbery-homicide. The man was taken into custody during a traffic stop in Fife, Lakewood police reported.
Lakewood police have arrested two people in connection with Tuesday's shooting death of an armored car guard during a robbery at a Lakewood Wal-Mart store but the two are not the main suspects.
The two in custody are a man and woman.
"They are involved but they are not the two shown in the photographs," Lakewood police Lt. Heidi Hoffman said.
More arrests are anticipated today, she said. Lakewood police investigators believe they have identified the two men in the surveillance photographs who were seen leaving the Wal-Mart after the shooting just before 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
Now, it's just a matter of finding them.
Lakewood police booked the man into Pierce County Jail just after 4 a.m. on suspicion of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery, first-degree assault and unlawful drug possession. The woman was booked into the jail just after 3:45 a.m. on suspicion of first-degree murder, first-degree robbery and first-degree assault.
Lakewood and Tacoma police as well as Pierce County sheriff's deputies and federal law enforcement authorities are investigating the robbery and shooting, which left a Loomis armored car guard dead inside the Wal-Mart at 7001 Bridgeport Way.
The guard, Kurt Husted, was on his way out of the store when he was shot. He had gone to the Anchor Bank inside the store, then to the Wal-Mart office, Hoffman said.
"His last stop was to the Wal-Mart office," she said. "He was picking up money from the office."
"This is just brutal. They weren't trying to get this money without violence," Hoffman said.
Lakewood also is getting assistance from Puyallup, Fife and other surrounding police agencies.
A search warrant was served at a home in University Place this morning in connection with the deadly shooting. The home has been secured for Lakewood detectives, according to law enforcement. Another search warrant was served in Tacoma.
"We have had multiple search warrants this morning," Hoffman said.
