Suspect arrested in killing of Seattle Police officer
TUKWILA, Wash. – A person of interest in the shooting death of Seattle Police Officer Timothy Brenton has been shot in the head by police this afternoon.
Sources say the person's name is Christopher J. Monfort.
The Seattle Times reports 41-year-old Monfort had recently been laid off as a security guard and had studied criminal justice at the University of Washington.
He does not seem to have a criminal history and only a few traffic tickets.
Also there may be a possible connection between the attack on Officer Brenton and the firebombings of Seattle Police cars on Oct. 22. At the arson scene, investigators found a note threatening to kill officers and fliers protesting police brutality.
Two other people connected to the case, also being called persons of interest, have also been detained.
The shooting and arrest happened at the Terrace Apartments in the 13700 block of 56th Avenue South at about 3:15 p.m. Mike Murphy of Tukwila police say officers went to the complex based on information from a citizen. When officers approached the man, he tried to run away. When he was boxed in, police say he produced a weapon. That's when officers opened fire and hit the man.
The Seattle Times, citing law enforcement sources, reports police traced the car to the apartment and were watching it for much of the day. When the man attempted to leave, that's when officers moved in. The Times reports the man ran up a stairwell, pulled a gun and tried to fire. For some reason, the gun did not go off.
KING 5 News has learned it was Seattle SWAT officers that initially made contact with the man. None of the officers were hit.
Video from the scene shows the suspect being placed face-first on the ground by police. He was taken to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition.
About an hour after the shooting, Tukwila police said the person who was shot was a suspect in the Brenton shooting, but they later backtracked and said it was too early to call the man a suspect.
The King County Sheriff's Office is taking over the investigation of the shooting.
Interim Police Chief John Diaz tells The Seattle Times says a car found under a blue tarp at the apartment complex is the same Datsun 210 that police have been looking for in relation to the Brenton shooting.
Friday's arrest happened just minutes after a memorial service for Officer Brenton concluded at Seattle's KeyArena. Brenton was shot and killed Halloween night after a car pulled up next to his patrol car and someone shot him. His rookie partner, Officer Britt Sweeney, survived the shooting.
dmres said on November 6, 2009 at 4:14 PM
They are showing pictures of this Tukwila shooting with Des Moines being mentioned. Which one is it? Tukwila or Des Moines? Nice job K5
liquidboss said on November 6, 2009 at 4:20 PM
Looks a lot like he tried to run and the cops opened fire without a second thought. They put him in an ambo that hasn't moved since. Seems a lot like they don't care much if he lives or dies...
seattlemama said on November 6, 2009 at 4:23 PM
Thank God! Hope he's not dead, though-- that would be too good for him. Good job officers!!
boomer22 said on November 6, 2009 at 4:27 PM
Their on TV right now saying this guy is the fellow the Seattle Police are looking for as the suspect in the Seattle shooting. Showed him on the ground shot in the gut or side. Looks like he'll live through this to face up to it if this is in deed the individual.
boomer22 said on November 6, 2009 at 4:29 PM
you got that right seattlemama. If this is the guy, dying is not the thing for him. He needs to live through the act of which he did and face up to the family left behind. Scumbag... Looks like they have a second person handcuffed now.
ibasoldier said on November 6, 2009 at 4:31 PM
I bet you million dollars that if that guy is the one that killed the cop in seattle the cops shot him first. I feel bad that the officer was killed but I have brothers and sisters that are getting killed everyday in Iraq and afganistan and they get a 15-30 seconds on the news for all they do and they blow this up all day on tv.
ibasoldier said on November 6, 2009 at 4:39 PM
The cops shot that guy first I bet a million dollars can we get some coverage on the Fort Hood shooting from yesterday
lovewashington said on November 6, 2009 at 4:41 PM
No trial needed . Just do they do in some countries. Make him pay for the bullets and then shoot him starting at the toes and go up. The whole act should be made as long and as painful as you can.
tinkers526 said on November 6, 2009 at 4:42 PM
Ok....who's the brainiac posting the dates on the pics??? It's November 6th, 2009.....not October 6th, 2009. A job well done to those who put the case & clues together.
cammaz said on November 6, 2009 at 4:42 PM
He flashed a gun, and a police officer was just murdered. I woun't care to give a second tought to anyone. If they didn't care about his life they would let him bleed out on in the parking lot.
yogibear said on November 6, 2009 at 4:48 PM
Thank you to all the police departments for keeping us safe
collegeguy said on November 6, 2009 at 4:49 PM
ibasoldier, sadly the reason is because that is war, this is an event on our home soil, of course they will make a big deal of it. I do wish all our service men and women come home safely and care about how they are doing but again, this is something that affects us at home. When a community has something like this happen near their home, it ruins our sense of safety and having some sort of conclusion is bigger than a war on foriegn soil. Also, the war has been going on for how many years now? Peoples attentions are not that long. I turned the news on not knowing this was going on and the first thing I saw was that car under the car cover and thought "thats the car they are looking for" and then I heard what was going on. I hope this worthless peice of garbage rots in jail, preferably in solitary confinment for the rest of his life!
jlanecg said on November 6, 2009 at 4:54 PM
ibasoldier - huh? how many times are you going to bet a million dollars (pfft, right) on the fact that this guy was shot at first? maybe you should turn your t.v./internet off and pick up a book, you might learn something.
joe_the_watchdog said on November 6, 2009 at 5:02 PM
GOT ONE SATAN! YEAH!
bgtown50 said on November 6, 2009 at 5:40 PM
My thoughts and prayers go out to the officer's family. I get frustrated with the comments about our military overseas and this. Thank God we have both. Our military are protecting us overseas and our local police are protecting us here. I have so much respect for both of them. My son is in the service and I pray for him daily but we also need the police. It's really sad to hear comments about how the police are to quick to shoot etc etc etc. For those of you who want to complain, why don't you become an officer and go protect us. I know personally I don't have the balls so I really appreciate those that can.
ruba61 said on November 6, 2009 at 7:35 PM
DIE!!!! S.O.B!!!! DIE!!!!! ROT IN HELL!!!!
randolphlsmith said on November 6, 2009 at 7:49 PM
Nice shot !
randolphlsmith said on November 6, 2009 at 7:50 PM
Nice Shot !
impoorbutsexxxy said on November 6, 2009 at 7:57 PM
If you cant beat em, lick em!
browndog said on November 6, 2009 at 9:07 PM
To everyone putting down King 5, find a new website if you dont like this one, better yet start your own since you know so much about running a PRIVATE news company. And if you are worried about what happend in Fort Hood, watch CNN, King 5 is not national news. To the people saying the cops are in the wrong and just shooting away, a cop was just murdered for no reason. If you do not want to get shot, don't run from the police, and don't point a gun at a cop like this guy did.
booboo said on November 6, 2009 at 9:48 PM
please no more Danger Jim
seattlehawks said on November 6, 2009 at 9:52 PM
My thoughts and prayers go to the family of the fallen officer and to Seattle Police Dept. I believe the attack on a police officer isn't just an attack on a person, it is an attack on society as a whole. This officer was killed in the line of duty. Dmres, let me correct you, you didnt get what the news said. The man was shot in Tukwila, not in Des Moines, but the criminal used to go to Highline College in Des Moines.
justcause44 said on November 6, 2009 at 10:01 PM
As a personal involved with the Seattle Youth Violence Prevention Inataitive, Question: if you're fellow officer gets shot and killed, and then you go out and shoot the person who you believe to have killed him... is that not retaliation??? So because you have a badge, does that make it legal? So now how do I tell the young people I work with who grieve over their friend, brother or cousin (just like the officers) not to retaliate and keep the cycle of violence going? Just a question..
justcause44 said on November 6, 2009 at 10:02 PM
This question is no disrespect to the family. But this is what my colleagues and I have to deal with when we work with youth.
seattlehawks said on November 6, 2009 at 10:16 PM
( This is to Justcause44, ) the man had a gun and wanted to kill the cops...so do you want the cops to sit and watch to get them killed by that sick guy? .. He unfortunately got what he deserved, even if he was not intentional on shooting it, who is going to read his mind? Police had to make a decision and made it. I'd like to express my sympathies and solidarity with the Seattle Police Department.
anne1988 said on November 7, 2009 at 12:27 AM
When an officer of the law has to shoot his gun, especially if the bullet finds its target, it has an impact on the officer that he or she carries the rest of their life. The same goes for our people in the armed forces. Even if the shooting is completely justified, even if they are threatened or defending a fellow officer or citizen, or are put in a position to shoot in a suicide-by-cop attempt, we cannot discount the tremendous impact the use of deadly force has on a person. I thoroughly respect the men and women in uniform. We hear of incidents now and then when the power is abused, but on the whole, these people are taking it on the chin for all of us.
mbednarz said on November 7, 2009 at 12:41 AM
Thank God they found him and stopped him. Cop killing assasins are too dangerous to give the slightest leeway to. Look they said there were 8 Datsun 210s matching his color registered in Washington. They got a tip from a citizen that this could be their guy. They stake the place out and see his POS 30 yr. old Datsun car sporting a brand-new car cover after the pictures and video had been plastered all over local news and media outlets. He makes contact with officers and flee's then turns to fire a weapon. What more do they need? They had every right and a DUTY to DROP HIM! They did the same with Shawn Roe in Sequim last October. He killed a Nat. Forest Service K9 officer and local citizen before a deputy and trooper dropped him coming out of a market with a bag full of groceries in his arms. Good riddance. These types are too dangerous to afford any leeway.
liquidboss said on November 7, 2009 at 6:40 AM
Does anyone else find it strange that they wouldn't let those poor people back in their homes? Anyone who lived in the apartment complex and wasn't there at the time couldn't come back. If you were at home you could stay home but if you left you couldn't come back. I imagine that is a huge bother to people, and definitely not something they would do if this weren't a guy who killed a cop. I mean its not like these people's apartments are crime scenes. It just seems like they are trying a lot harder when one of their own is shot. Then you put in the fact that they are using the age old story cops use when they shoot first, he ran and pulled out a weapon, and I'm not sure I like how they handled this...
tsuruta said on November 7, 2009 at 7:27 AM
I don't like the violence, but what chance did this guy give Officer Brenton and Officer Sweeney? I hate the fact that we treat criminals better than we treat animals in shelters, and spend millions keeping them in humane conditions after hideous crimes, feeding them, providing excellent medical care that so many of our citizens can't afford. I'm sorry SPD SWAT officers yesterday didn't have better aim. Harborview has better lives to save. I heard the "YIPPEEE" calls on the police scanner as they found out he'd gone to Harborview. I can only imagine the relief felt by every cop in Seattle.
heyler7 said on November 7, 2009 at 8:05 AM
Glad they were able to shoot this joker and keep him alive! We need to go back to the early days of public torture... criminals will really think twice about doing stupid stuff knowing they will get beaten like the dogs they are!
randolphlsmith said on November 7, 2009 at 8:18 AM
To Seattle Swat: Nice Shot !
spdfan said on November 7, 2009 at 10:38 AM
My heart goes out to the family and friends of this brave officer. There are no words to express my feelings adequately with regard to my respect for his service to the citizens of America, and in particular, the City of Seattle. To the filthy coward responsible, there are also no words adequate to relate my feelings. I have cleaned more valuable things from the bottom of my shoes than this maggot's life is worth to society. I am sure that SPD did a fantastic job in investigating this incident and have no doubt that they have the right guy. Regardless, to the filth (Mr. Monfort) that pulled the gun and was shot , oh well, hope it hurt. You certainly got more of a chance than that of Officer Brenton. Should Mr. Monfort survive, he will be given due process at tax payer expense. Likely in the one to two million dollar range for his certain, court appointed attorneys, as Mr. Monfort is undoubtedly not worth a nickel. Hmm, Ironic, that's equal to the value of his life.
victimsjustice said on November 7, 2009 at 10:40 AM
The AMAZING restraint shown by the officers who participated in the arrest of this sub-human nut job means that the family of Officer Tim Brenton and his brothers and sisters in the Seattle Police Department will have to endure a heart wrenching spectacle of a trial. The sub-human nut job gets his life saving medical treatment, his meals, his defense, the cost of all the experts who will be evaluating him and testifying in court paid for by US, the taxpayer. The Family of Officer Tim Brenton are the ones who pay the ultimate price in sadness and heartache that will last for years as the sub-human nut job gets his trial, has his endless appeals. The family of Officer Tim Brenton has to endure a slick defense attorney who will portray the worthless piece of s*** as some poor, misunderstood person who was making a political statement. The most incredibly sad part of this is that one well placed bullet from an officer today could have saved everyone a lot of money and heartache.
rakhan said on November 7, 2009 at 11:40 AM
Is it at all possible that the Police instigated this event? Maybe the man felt a sense of immediate danger and shot the cop. I'm sorry, I don't' think all cops are the "Good Guy". Sometimes they just have a hard-on for killing/action so it's easy to see how one could feel completely unsafe when encountering certain cops. Obviously, many of you are unfamiliar with Police-harassment, but your fear perpetuates them and it is very real and very much a part of our local landscape. The guy accused, as demonized as he is by all of you at the News for killing a cop, seems all and all like a smart, reasonable person. Maybe it was his life or the cops? As much sympathy as I have for anyone who's been hurt or a victim of violence, it's not a new thing for the cops in our area to go overboard and I think it's a bit one-sided for us to jump to the conclusion that he provoked the cop. The cops aren't always the good guy and not all the good ones are always on the right side.
tony1120 said on November 7, 2009 at 1:11 PM
Rakan, You make a good point. I'm glad that he's off the street for one, it brings closure to the family. With that said, I questioned the verbage used by officials as the story unfolded. First, why was a swat team on hand for a "routine investigation"? Second, if this was in Tuwilla, why wasn't Tuk pd involved in the door knocking? Third...why was the TuK pd officer doing the media interview, quick to make it basially known that Tuk PD had nothing to do with the shooting. Sounds a little fishy to me. Now the biggest question....Why a head shot? Once again, I'm glad he's off the streets, Kudo's to the detectives that worked effortlessly to make an arrest. Our officers need more support . These days everyone is trigger happy and things like this are sadly going to become more common.
ellejay said on November 7, 2009 at 4:18 PM
I, too, am upset by the shooting of Officer Brenton. But, wow, the thoughtless and I must say silly comments by some of my fellow citizens scares and upsets me even more. I've yet to encounter any situation that didn't have two sides. And I'm waiting for your apologies to the rest of us if it turns out that this shooting victim is not Officer Brenton's murderer. It has happened before. Glad to know that I will be presumed innocent until I'm convicted by a fair and unbiased jury of my peers. If you don't believe in the basic tenets on which the USA was founded pray, tell me why do you people choose to be citizens of this country. Salute Officer Brenton. Thank you and every other soldier for protecting us. Now if we can only figure out how to get people to think, read and analyze.....maybe we could start by going back to Civics 101
victimsjustice said on November 8, 2009 at 8:12 PM
Ellejay, even if this were NOT the guy who senselessly MURDERED Officer Brenton, the fact that he pulled a gun on police puts a BIG BULLSEYE on him. Threat from a firearm equals use of DEADLY FORCE. Check your Civics 101 about how the laws allow a threat of deadly violence or violence likely to cause great bodily harm to be met with deadly force. You wanna be presumed innocent then don't point a gun at the cops. C'mon warm and fuzzy, get real. What would you do if someone pointed a gun at you?
demjeff said on November 8, 2009 at 9:23 PM
Officer Brenton's family, thank you for your lifetime of sacrifice. May your son's/husband's/father's/brother's etc. . sacrifice bring understanding to violent minds released in irrational ways, new techniques to protect officer's lives, and more vigilance within neighborhoods to recognize and report dangerous people. While Officer Brenton died, it would appear his death may likely have saved many other lives based on the boms and firearms found. This was just the beginning of a potentially long and scary terrorization effort, methinks. Thanks you officer Brenton. Thank you Officer Sweeney. Good work neighbors who identified the car, and good work Seattle Swat. God Bless America.
soldier206 said on November 12, 2009 at 12:36 PM
Although, i do not agree with the killing of anyone. I applaud the actions of MR. MONFORT. The police have been beating, maiming, and lieing on police reports ever since the beginning of the seattle police department. We in the poor sections of the seattle community have been victims for far too long. We live in a police state, we have no rights and are subject to a beating if we invoke our rights. I love police work, it is a necessity. I have NEVER met a cop who was not CROOKED. I say that and support that with the following. If an officer, who voluntarily swore an oath to obey and enforce the laws of the constitution and the laws of washington state, witnesses a fellow officer committing a crime, that officer would not arrest that officer, nor tell the truth on a police report. What people fail to realize is that cops are HUMANS also and therefore subject to fallibility. Pinning on a badge does not make one above the law. Unfortunately, we in the poor sections recieve alot of rogue t
soldier206 said on November 12, 2009 at 12:37 PM
cops are HUMANS also and therefore subject to fallibility. Pinning on a badge does not make one above the law. Unfortunately, we in the poor sections recieve alot of rogue thug cops who love to beat, maim, torture, and murder those they fear. People call them hero's cowards run in packs, birds of a feather flock together. there are more rogue thug cops than one may think. These cops are no different than a street gang. They protect the rich and serve the poor. My belief is that MR. MONFORT was turned away from the police force because he posed a threat, not to the community, but to the police force itself. I think MR. MONFORT would have exposed them for who they really are. No matter what happens to MR. MONFORT I stand with him in understanding why he did what he did. LONG LIVE HIS LEGACY I SALUTE HIM MUCH RESPECT