Seattle Officer Timothy Brenton's Killer Still at Large, Probably Planned Attack

Officer Brenton was shot to death while sitting in his parked squad car.

SEE ALSO:Rick Anderson's report from yesterday's press conference.

Officer Timothy Brenton, the Seattle cop and father of two killed on Saturday night in Leschi, was probably targeted at random, police say. Assistant Police Chief Jim Pugel called Brenton's murder an "assassination." And sources who spoke to King 5 say that all indications point to a planned attack: the gunmen approached from the rear then backed up after shooting, possibly to avoid being caught on Brenton's dashboard-camera.

Brenton, 39, a Marysville father of two, was killed instantly. His father and an uncle are retired Seattle cops. 33-year-old Britt Sweeney, the trainee sitting next to Brenton who miraculously survived the ambush, was released from the hospital after being treated with minor injuries. The suspect, however, remains at-large.

UPDATE: Police say Awaz Maki Madow, 25, threatened a King County Jail sergeant last Friday. But he's only being held on $30,000 bail.

Madow reportedly told the sergeant he might have to "take someone out" and that he was talking about killing a Seattle cop and a prison guard. He was arrested Friday and made bail on Saturday, hours before Brenton was murdered.

But Madow's low bail and PD spokesman Mark Jamieson's comments ("he is a small part of a huge investigation") suggest that the cops probably aren't pegging him as the killer. More likely is that he's just a guy who ran off at the mouth to the wrong person at the wrong time.

UPDATE: SeattleCrime.com has a transcript of the dispatch call made by Officer Sweeney after the shooting. Blogger Jonah Spangenthal-Lee (rightly) typed out the exchange rather than posting the audio, a recording he calls "heartrendingly horrific."

(0:00) Sweeney: Shots fired, 29th and Yesler!

(0:06) Dispatcher: Is there a unit calling radio?

(0:15) Officer 1: I believe she said I-5 north of yesler

(0:19) Operator: 3 george 13?

(0:22) Sweeney: [sobs]

(0:24) Operator: 3 George 13? I map George 13, I show her at 29 and E yesler way, if units could [surge?] that way

(0:37) Sweeney: Help. Shots fired [sobs]

(0:42) Sweeney: My partner's dead.

(0:44) Dispatcher: I need units to 29 and East Yesler

(0:47) Officer 2: Edward 32's on his way [Siren]

(1:00) Officer 1: 3 George en route

(1:08) Sweeney: Help me.

(1:13) Dispatcher: Help the officer 29 and E Yesler

(1:24) Sweeney: I need medical

(1:38) Officer 1: George 31 arriving

(2:01) Officer 1: George 33, we've got officer down. We need more, uh, we need fire here now.

(2:08) Dispatcher: Fire's on the way.

8 comment(s) / Comment

DC says:

Officer Sweeney was not "unharmed." She was grazed in the back by a bullet.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 2 2009 @ 9:32AM

Caleb says:

Thanks DC. For reasons that are far too boring to explain, that shouldn't have said "unharmed."

Good catch.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 2 2009 @ 9:35AM

Tim says:

I wish police cars would have more cams, maybe a rear as well as the front, sad we have to come to this.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 2 2009 @ 9:44PM

Tim says:

I wish police cars would have more cams, maybe a rear as well as the front, sad we have to come to this.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 2 2009 @ 9:45PM

2ServeAndProtect says:

Though this was such an extreme incident for everyone, especially Officer Sweeney. She did an excellent job getting on the radio immediately after the incident and calling for help.

I can only imagine all of Seattle PD and surrounding agencies rushing to help her... Thank you for your Service Officer Brenton and continued service Officer Sweeney.

Posted On: Wednesday, Nov. 4 2009 @ 6:30AM

FB says:

People talk a lot about “Police Brutality” – but what about brutality toward police?

That is more common and receives much less attention.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 @ 9:19PM

Amy says:

Seattle police officer Timothy Brenton and his family are in my prayers.

Posted On: Tuesday, Nov. 10 2009 @ 9:30PM

celina says:

We miss you Timothy Brenton. Why do people got to kill police officers what do they do to people that they got to kill them its so sad for there family.

Posted On: Monday, Nov. 30 2009 @ 5:28PM

 

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