Closing Arguments of Lakewood Wal-Mart Shooting Trial Takes Place

• Wal-Mart Homicide “Mastermind” Convicted

Closing arguments in the trial of the last defendant in the Wal-Mart Homicide case took place on Wednesday March 23rd and a guilty verdict was delivered by a jury the next day. Prosecutors presented their case against Defendant Odies Walker, who
they characterized as the “mastermind” behind the planning and execution of
the robbery and homicide that took place at the store on June 2nd, 2009.

Loomis armored car guard Kurt Husted was murdered during the crime and Wilbert Pena was shot by the same bullet that killed Husted. The shooter, Calvin Finley, pled
guilty almost immediately and was sentenced to life in prison. All of the other
participants in the crime pled guilty and Walker was the only one to take his case
to trial.

• Chief meets with U.S. Attorney General

Lakewood Police Chief Bret Farrar met with Eric Holder, U.S. Attorney General, on March 22nd at the Holder's invitation to discuss officer safety issues. The chief was joined by several other chiefs at the Justice Department in Washington DC.

• City manager presents to NW regional city managers conference

The city manager presented a new International City Management Association video production entitled “Life, Well Run” about professional management of local governments, to the annual regional conference of Washington and Oregon city managers in Stevenson, WA on March 24th. Lakewood’s city manager is serving as the West Coast Regional Vice President for ICMA.

• Police participate in Basketball Game to Raise Money

On March 23rd, Lakewood Police Officers participated in the second Annual Cops vs. Teachers basketball game at Ferrucci Junior High in Puyallup. Puyallup police, Pierce County Sheriff’s Department, Tacoma police, and Lakewood police all played against the teachers of Ferrucci and defeated them soundly.

This was a charity event with all donations going to the Mountain View Community Food Banks Seeds of Change program and the Kiwanis Child Cancer Research Project of Seattle.

• Municipal Court Judge and Probation Officer attend substance abuse program at JBLM

On March 18th, representatives from Lakewood’s Municipal Court attended a workshop sponsored by Pierce County District Court and the
Army Substance Abuse Program at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Judges O’Malley and Sussman chaired the meeting with support from JBLM mental health professionals. The purpose of the meeting was to address the special needs of military personnel
who present with substance abuse problems.

Army staff outlined the ASAP program and discussed how best to provide necessary evaluation and treatment information to the courts. Judges from Tacoma, Roy, and Puyallup also attended.

• Community Safety and Resource Team conduct Police Station Tour for Cub Scout Pack

CSRT staff conducted a tour of the Lakewood Police Station for Cub Scout Pack 289 on March 22nd. The tour included discussion on crime prevention, bicycle safety,
and fingerprinting. The cub scouts were working on requirements for rank
advancement and were able to complete their requirements by coming to the
police station for a visit.

• CSRT Leader attends NW Command College program

Lt. Steve Mauer attended the NW Command College in Vancouver, WA, March 5th – 9th. This program is for law enforcement administrators who have already earned their mid-level management certificate from the Washington State Criminal Justice
Training Commission.

This class was sponsored by the training commission and the FBI, which sponsors training like this all over the U.S. Instruction focused on communication, leadership, and ethics. Forty-three officers from around the state participated.

• CSRT secures abandoned houses

Within the span of a week, CSRT staff boarded up three houses that were in foreclosure, abandoned, and being vandalized. The team is now equipped to perform limited emergency board-ups that typically involve securing a few simple doors and or windows.

More substantial board-ups may be done by the public works department or by
outside contractors that can respond within approximately 48-hours.