Gig Harbor, University Place, Lakewood Police Help Tacoma In Wake Of Officer Shooting

GIG HARBOR, WA - Police departments around the region are mourning with Tacoma Police in the aftermath of the shooting death of one of their officers on Wednesday night. And many local departments will continue to help in the coming weeks as the department memorializes the fallen officer.

On Thursday morning, Gig Harbor Police Chief Kelly Busey said that a city officer stood vigil at Tacoma General Hospital Wednesday night, and had accompanied the fallen officer as he was transported to the medical examiner's officer. Busey said the department is ready to help with the officer's memorial, including stepping in to take service calls to allow Tacoma officers to attend services.

Busey didn't know the officer personally, but some in the department did. No matter, everyone was mourning on Thursday, he said.

"Everybody is feeling this," Busey said. "You hate to see this nationally, but this is so close to home."

Thursday morning, Tacoma Police Spokesperson Officer Loretta Cool said that over 200 officers responded to take part in the late-night procession to the medical examiner's office.

"The officers stayed, they went to the scene and relieved people, they offered to take calls," Cool said.

Lakewood Police were on scene during the standoff, which lasted close to 12 hours overnight and ended with the suspected shooter's death. A photo taken by the Tacoma News Tribune showed two Lakewood officers tending to Kristi Croskey, a woman who was inside the home when the shooting occurred.

Lakewood Police Lt. Chris Lawler said Thursday that the department responded out of a sense of duty.

"We simply answered the call for help," he wrote in an email to Patch.com. "An officer-down call is something we all respond to, no matter what."

On Tuesday, Lakewood Police observed the seventh anniversary of the ambush shooting that killed four officer's from the department.

University Place Police Chief Mike Blair, meanwhile, was working Tacoma Police and other responders in his capacity as a peer support officer. Blair's department also told Patch that it would be working with Tacoma as plans for memorials become clearer.

Image of 2009 Lakewood Police memorial via Flickr user Jennifer B