FALLEN LAKEWOOD POLICE OFFICERS - CHILLING DETAILS OF KILLINGS

IVANO SAYS: Almost, two months ago, four Officers of the Lakewood, Wn., Police Department were gun-down by a ruthless, vicious killer. Figlio Della Costa Marvin Del Chiaro has sent me a report on this tragic event, which he received from a confidential law enforcement source. I have edited some of the words and phrases for clarification, however the details as received have not been altered.

(Photo above of Officers' Funeral taken by the San Diego Police Department, William Landsdowne, Chief and was first published in the 'Farsider' a Bill Mattos -Leroy Pyle Publication)

The details of the shooting are as follows:

The coffee shop was owned by a retired Tacoma Police Officer.
It (the coffee shop)was considered a "safe" hangout for cops
waiting to go on duty, or stopping by for a break.

Lakewood Pd is a new Department recently formed. Almost all of the
Officers (including the officers that were killed) were hired from the Pierce County
Sheriffs Office. The Deputies were hired from the jail.

The four (Officers)were drinking coffee before shift and working on
laptops with their heads down. The table was approximately 15 feet from the counter/check out register.

Shooter came in and smiled and acknowledge the two Officers facing the doorway/entrance. They (the two officers) return the greeting. Shooter goes
up to the counter like he (was)going to order. After stepping up to counter, he
pulls a semi-automatic pistol from under his coat. Shooter takes a couple of
steps toward (the) table, where the deputies are seated. (His) distance is now approximately 12 feet.

(The)shooter shoots first (Officer), who is facing him across the table. He (first Officer) is shot
in (the) head. He is killed instantly. Shooter then shoots nearest Officer, who is seated away from him, in the back of the head. He is killed instantly.

Shooter then shoots across the table at third Officer, who is facing him, and misses. (He fires a) fourth shot and strikes the third Officer in the face, killing him instantly.

Last Officer is a Sergeant. He stands, draws his weapon and charges the Shooter. The table is knocked over in the process. The Police Sergeant grabs the Shooter by his coat and engages him with his weapon. First round strikes the Shooter in his mid-section and goes on through. (Sergeant) fires second round. The bullet strikes the Shooter in the front pocket. The round hits keys inside the pocket, but penetrates through --about 1.5 inches into Shooters thigh. (Officers carry 180 grain gold dot ammunition. unknown at this time what kind of pistol).

The Shooter raises his gun and shoots the Sergeant in the face. The Sergeant falls to the ground. The Shooter kneels and bends over the fallen Sergeant. He fires a CONTACT shot to the right eye. The Shooter then shoots the Sergeant in his other eye. Once again this is a CONTACT shot.
The Shooter then takes the Sergeant's wallet and steals his credit cards and his duty weapon.
The Shooter does not rob the store or hurt or threaten anyone else. The shooting of the first three Officer lasted approximately 3-5 seconds. The Sergeants encounter lasted another 5-7 seconds.Shooter has an accomplice waiting outside in a car. He gets into car and they leave the area. (The accomplice is a former cell mate of the Shooter when he did time in Arkansas prison.

Federal agents track Shooter by cellphone "pinging" to locate phone/area. Five more additional accomplices help shooter with medical issues, food, money etc. . Federal agents find driver accomplice and get the name of the Shooter. All accomplices are arrested and general area where
Shooter is headed for is found out.

Tuesday approximately 3:00 a.m. Shooter turns off phone and takes battery out, so he can no longer be tracked by the "pinging". A short time later, Pierce County Deputy checks an abandoned car with engine running, headlights on and driver door open.

As the Deputy walks back to his patrol car he sees movement from behind the car. Once he clears his headlights, which were blinding him, he clearly sees a person crouched behind the squad car. He recognizes him as the Shooter.

The Deputy orders him to ground and issues other commands. Shooter attempts to draw his weapon and starts to run. Deputy fires five rounds. Three bullets strike the Shooter, who falls to the ground. Deputy covers Shooter with his weapon until backup arrives. (Unknown how long it took for backup to arrive). Once backup units arrive, the Shooter is handcuffed. At this point he is already dead. Deputies find slain Sergeant's duty weapon on the Shooter.

Later, one of the bullets found in the Shooter' body is traced to the Sergeant's weapon, confirming that the deceased Sergeant had shot the Shooter.

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IVANO SAYS (CONT'D)

The names of the Fallen Officers follows:

Tina Griswald

Ron Owens

Mark Renninger

Greg Richards

Addio mi belli Figli. Until we meet, hopefully in uniform, across "Il Ultimo Ponte.

RESTORATION OF "CASA DELLA FAMIGLIA LOSK" AND A FURLAN 'EPIPHANY'

IVANO SAYS: Out of the ashes (so to speak) rises the ancestral home of the LOSKS. (My grandfather GIOVANNI COMELLI, was also know in Friuli as GIOVAN DEL LOSK). Located in Nimis, Italy (Friuli), the photo at the bottom depicts the condition of the home prior to renovation. The top photo shows the house as it nears completion in 2010.

The renovation is being done by my cousin, LUCIA (daughter of ANNA MARIA and CESARE COMELLI, grand daughter of GIOVANNI AND LAURA COMELLI, and great-grand daughter of Giovan del Losk and his wife CAROLINA) and her husband GIANNI SCHENA. As you can see this renovation took a great deal of time and money. And, I would think, a lot of patience.

For those of you who have read “La Nostra Costa”, you will know that I write about my father ‘Bronco” and my visit to the “old house” in 1977 (P.370- 371). This was just after the death of my mother Valentina. The following is from my book “La Nostra Costa”:*

“Although the Friuli region had just been hit with a major earthquake a year earlier, in 1976, the house of my grandfather (Bronco’s father), although damaged, was still standing. Bronco’s brother, Giovanni, and his wife Laura, were living there now. Also standing, and still in reasonably good condition, was the second-story addition Bronco had built way back in 1931 with his hard-earned American dollars. Bronco was able to use it as his sleeping quarters during our stay. “Isn’t it amazing, Ivano?” Bronco said to me in Italian. “After all those years su per la costa, I am once again back here in Nimis, sleeping in the very same room where your mother and I spent our wedding night.” He added, in a very sad tone of voice, “But this time, I will be alone.”

Well done Lucia and Gianni. I think many LOSKS are smiling their approval from above.

Sempre Avanti. Ivn0

*La Nostra Costa (Our Coast), A Family's Journey To And From The North Coast of Santa Cruz, by Ivano Franco Comelli, published by Authorhouse (2006): http://www.authorhouse.com/

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Speaking of 'restoration', Doriano "The Canadian Furlan" sends this ancient Furlan New Year Tradition.

Ivano Mio Caro Amico

Just a quick summary of the 6th of January, The Epiphany as celebrated in Friuli ... "Il Pignarul"
This ancient pagan ritual takes place throughout Friuli but most effectively in Tarcento!!

This event takes place on the mysterious Twelfth night – Epiphany - the last one of the Christmas season. The celebrations for this night have ancient Celtic origins and can be traced back to rites for the pagan god of fire and light.
Not just one bonfire but tens of them can be admired in every village in the foothills and central plains of Friuli. The main one is in Tarcento . Here people walk up Coja hill where a huge bonfire, made of branches of pine, sheaves of corn, is set up. The Venerable Old Man (Vecchio Venerando) then lights the bonfire - Pignarûl Grant, or Great Bonfire - which is the signal for all the other minor bonfires around the area to be lit as well. From the direction the smoke takes, predictions are made about the fortunes of the region in the coming year: smoke blowing east predicts a year of abundance while smoke blowing west is a bad omen for the crops:
(Old saying in the Friulian language).
"Se il fum al va a soreli a mont, cjape il sac e va pal mont", - translation: "if the smoke goes towards where the sun sets grab your sack and go away immigrate throughout the world"
"Se il fum invezit al va de bande di soreli jevât,cjape il sac e va al marcjât» - translation "if the smoke goes where the sun rises grab your sack and go to the market".
Refer to the following site for more detailed information www.epifaniainfriuli.com/tarcento/index_tar_uk.htm


Ciao e Mandi e Sempre Avanti. Doriano