SEATTLE – King County Prosecuting Attorney Dan Satterberg has formally announced he will be filing an Aggravated First Degree Murder charge and an Attempted murder charge against Christopher Monfort. Monfort is accused of fatally shooting Seattle Police Officer Tim Brenton and wounding rookie Officer Britt Sweeney.
Christopher Monfort, 41, is recovering at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after being shot by police outside his Tukwila apartment complex last Friday. Police say Monfort showed a gun before being shot.
Ofc. Brenton was killed Halloween night after police say a Datsun 210 pulled up next to the cruiser that Brenton and rookie Ofc. Britt Sweeney were sitting in. Brenton was shot and Sweeney was grazed. Sweeney was able to return fire as the car fled the scene.
A citizen tip led police to Monfort's Tukwila apartment complex, where a car matching that description was found. Weapons and bomb-making materials were found in the Monfort's apartment, police said.
Law enforcement sources tell KING 5 News they believe Monfort wrote notes left at the scene of Seattle police car bombings on Oct. 22, assuming police officers would die when the cars exploded. The author said he was blowing up the cars and killing police as a "tribute" to a sheriff's deputy trainee - Travis Bruner - who witnessed the beating of a girl in a holding cell by another King County deputy.
The note says: "These deaths are dedicated to Deputy Travis Bruner. You swear on a solemn oath to protect us from all harm, that includes you. Start policing each other or get ready to attend a lot of police funerals."
Bruner was suspended for five days. The other deputy has been fired and is awaiting trial on assault.
KING 5 News has also learned Monfort is under investigation on child pornography charges. Investigators say they found massive amounts of child pornography on Monfort's computer.
Last Friday's arrest came minutes after a memorial service for Ofc. Brenton ended at KeyArena.
yorkstergirl said on November 11, 2009 at 2:21 PM
Let's play a game called "Name the Defense"! His public defender,salaried by us taxpayers, will say: 1.He was crazy (like a fox), 2. He was abused (maybe too much or not enough), he was raised by a single parent with no father figure (and weren't most of us?), 3. Hung out with a bad crowd in school (this man is 41 y.o.!). EXCUSES EXCUSES EXCUSES! This angry man is just plain evil and should pay the ultimate price for his crimes! With all the evidence connecting him to the shooting, why waste time with a formal trial etc. Wait and see, the deeper the investigation delves, more unsolved crimes will surface and be connected to this jerk.
shoreline said on November 11, 2009 at 3:16 PM
Yorkstergirl, Why waste time with a formal trial? Really? A formal trial (even for people like this) is one of the things that make this a great country! Yes, we the taxpayers are going to have to pay for the defense, and yes, we're going to hear all the excuses and reasons why he shouldn't be held acountable. But in the end, he'll end up right where the DC sniper ended up. Let's keep ourselves above his type of mentality. He believed in executing a Police officer out of some sense of revenge... do we want to be the same as him? Let the system work... It's far from perfect, but justice will be done. We ALL deserve that.
workhorse said on November 11, 2009 at 3:28 PM
You have already decided that this young man in already guilty, What happened to a trial of your pears, The cops have done this a hundred of time thay see someone they want for this crime, And will do whatever it takes to destroy this mans life. You all should be ashamed of your self's. Were can I send Timothy Brenton a get well card.
yogibear said on November 11, 2009 at 4:07 PM
workhorse did you read the articles that stated his DNA was found at the fire and the murder scenes. And the gun that was found at his apartment carried the same bullets to the gun and bullets that killed the policeman. One more thing Officer Timothy Brenton died. .So I don't think a get well card will work in tthis case.
andiamotodd said on November 11, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Forgive the rush to judgement but the man's car matches the description of the suspect vehicle, I believe it's even been confirmed that it had bullet holes from the surviving officer's gun, and he was ready to fire on police again when confronted. Add to that the DNA match between the suspect and the earlier vandalism of police cars and I'd say that yes, his conviction is pretty certain. I also agree that he will eventually be executed though not for many years and many millions of dollars both defending and convicting him. The death penalty is, at least partly if not wholly, revenge. The police who wounded him could well have ended it all in the street that day but they showed infinitely more compassion than the suspect. In cases where there is doubt that the suspect charged is the actual perpetrator, we must let our justice system work its course. In cases such as these, we're wasting money to have a trial with a known ending.
spdfan1 said on November 11, 2009 at 7:10 PM
With regard to Mr. Monfort, off him. He's eating our food and breathing our air. Oh, and "Workhorse", get someone to proof read your work. You are truly an illiterate boob.
4the3ofheros said on November 11, 2009 at 11:58 PM
Workhorse, for one this is no Young man he's 41 second the Police are not just seeing someone they want to blame they have what they call evidence and they so far have plenty of it to send this man to the death table. Tim Brenton had to die because of this man's actions Tim is our hero because of his death other people probably have been saved. Monfort is no victim he's a murderer of a great man a Father, A son, A friend and a great Police Officer to bad you were not at the Memorial Service you would know what a great guy Tim was God Bless him. And most of all you would know a get well card would do no good what's wrong with you for some messed up reason your on the wrong side of the table here your supporting the wrong person. Support our communities everywhere fight for our safety. Justice will prevail we have to go through it but in the end Monfort will end up in the right place right where he belongs it's just going to take longer then we wanted it too!
jackwong said on November 12, 2009 at 7:47 AM
@yorkstergirl: He just might have a chance if he fights his case in King County too, considering how insanely liberal we are here. Perhaps they could inject the "social justice" factor in it and get his way.
truthdector said on November 12, 2009 at 7:47 AM
He would fit right in with Obama's White House staff members; they're all radicals too... And the left is silent, because they're dishonest about who they really are.
unsub said on November 12, 2009 at 10:17 AM
Workhorse, Oh he'll get a jury of his pears all right, and his apples, bananas and possibly a few nuts such as yourself thrown in for good measure. It warms my heart and soul to hear the illiterate defending the insane.
unhappy said on November 15, 2009 at 11:52 AM
Not sure if you heard the new idea state rep Sam Hunt has but you should probably just let this guy go because were not tough on crime anymore. He wants to close prisons and get rid of probation which would let criminals out unsupervised. People like this that should be behind bars for breaking the laws and violating other peoples rights. Maybe we should cut Sam Hunt and use that his pay check to lock this guy up.