Fallen officers' family members face cop killer's accused accomplice
TACOMA, Wash. -- The courtroom was filled with tension on Wednesday as family members of a fallen Lakewood police officer came face to face with the man accused of helping the killer.
Rickey Hinton has been charged with three counts of first-degree rendering criminal assistance to his half-brother and cop killer Maurice Clemmons. Investigators said he provided a truck to Clemmons the night before the shooting, then arranging for Clemmons to be driven away from the area after he'd been shot.
Hinton appeared in court on Thursday, when a judge granted the prosecutor's request and set bail at $2 million.
"Your honor, the defendant assisted in one of the most heinous crimes I've seen in my career," Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said, "and this makes him an extreme danger to the community."
Watching the court proceedings were, among others, the family of Officer Greg Richards, including his children.
"We want to face them," said Richards' sister-in-law Melanie Burwell of the accused accomplices. "Greg faced them. Those officers faced them."
The family members listened painfully as Hinton pleaded not guilty on all counts -- not guilty of driving Clemmons around, not guilty of destroying evidence and not guilty of lying to to police.
Hinton lived with Clemmons at a house in Parkland, where Clemmons allegedly told him he was going to kill police and even showed him two handguns the night before the four officers were gunned down.
Douglas and Eddie Davis were also present to hear Clemmons' warning, detectives said, and Hinton told the Davis brothers to drive Clemmons away from the Parkland house after he showed up with a gunshot wound.
Outside the courtroom on Thursday, a young boy who identified himself as Hinton's grandson said police have the wrong man.
"And they try to say he's (Hinton is) guilty just because he's his brother," the boy said. "They should have been taking them (the Davis brothers) to jail because they were the ones who was driving him. All he told them to do was get him away from his house."
Officer Greg Richards' children - daughter Jamie and son Austin - were present in court, as was Barbara Belshay, who's known the slain officer's wife since the second grade.
"My best friend is now a widow at 40," Belshay said.
Belshay said the minute Kelly Richards' circle of friends met Greg, they nicknamed him "Perma-grin" for his constant smile.
To honor him, the friends and family members all wore special T-shirts with the police officer's prayer printed on the back.
By their distinct shirts, Hinton knew they were family members. And as he walked in and out of court, he stared down at them.
"I think he looked like (he was) sloughing us off, like, 'You guys are just garbage,'" Belshay said.
"Because he doesn't care," Burwell said. "You know, for these guys, going to prison is like a badge of honor to them, inconvenient cost of doing business."
The family members of Rickey Hinton also came to court, but didn't make it in time to see him or Richards' friends and family members. They were wearing T-shirts of their own, featuring the phrase "Free Rickey Hinton."
Hinton's relatives would only identify themselves as Hinton's grandchildren.
"I just want to say this - and you guys see it: 'Free Rickey Hinton,'" one woman said.
Richards' family members had a few more words to say. Despite Hinton's heavy stare and their overwhelming grief, they expressed sympathy for Clemmons' family members.
"These (Richards') kids - at least get the fortune of having a legacy of having their parents be heroes. Those little kids (Clemmons' family members), we feel bad for them," said Richards' sister-in-law Melanie Burwell. "We feel bad for those families, because this is the legacy they have to live with. We wouldn't wish that on anybody."
Burwell said Richards' daughter is now dedicating her efforts to make sure Clemmons' accused accomplices are convicted and put in prison.
"There's no such thing as overcrowding in prison. Make them uncomfortable," Burwell said. "Stop providing monsters with entertainment, health care, (and) educations we can't even afford for our children."
Rickey Hinton has been charged with three counts of first-degree rendering criminal assistance to his half-brother and cop killer Maurice Clemmons. Investigators said he provided a truck to Clemmons the night before the shooting, then arranging for Clemmons to be driven away from the area after he'd been shot.
Hinton appeared in court on Thursday, when a judge granted the prosecutor's request and set bail at $2 million.
"Your honor, the defendant assisted in one of the most heinous crimes I've seen in my career," Pierce County Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said, "and this makes him an extreme danger to the community."
Watching the court proceedings were, among others, the family of Officer Greg Richards, including his children.
"We want to face them," said Richards' sister-in-law Melanie Burwell of the accused accomplices. "Greg faced them. Those officers faced them."
The family members listened painfully as Hinton pleaded not guilty on all counts -- not guilty of driving Clemmons around, not guilty of destroying evidence and not guilty of lying to to police.
Hinton lived with Clemmons at a house in Parkland, where Clemmons allegedly told him he was going to kill police and even showed him two handguns the night before the four officers were gunned down.
Douglas and Eddie Davis were also present to hear Clemmons' warning, detectives said, and Hinton told the Davis brothers to drive Clemmons away from the Parkland house after he showed up with a gunshot wound.
Outside the courtroom on Thursday, a young boy who identified himself as Hinton's grandson said police have the wrong man.
"And they try to say he's (Hinton is) guilty just because he's his brother," the boy said. "They should have been taking them (the Davis brothers) to jail because they were the ones who was driving him. All he told them to do was get him away from his house."
Officer Greg Richards' children - daughter Jamie and son Austin - were present in court, as was Barbara Belshay, who's known the slain officer's wife since the second grade.
"My best friend is now a widow at 40," Belshay said.
Belshay said the minute Kelly Richards' circle of friends met Greg, they nicknamed him "Perma-grin" for his constant smile.
To honor him, the friends and family members all wore special T-shirts with the police officer's prayer printed on the back.
By their distinct shirts, Hinton knew they were family members. And as he walked in and out of court, he stared down at them.
"I think he looked like (he was) sloughing us off, like, 'You guys are just garbage,'" Belshay said.
"Because he doesn't care," Burwell said. "You know, for these guys, going to prison is like a badge of honor to them, inconvenient cost of doing business."
The family members of Rickey Hinton also came to court, but didn't make it in time to see him or Richards' friends and family members. They were wearing T-shirts of their own, featuring the phrase "Free Rickey Hinton."
Hinton's relatives would only identify themselves as Hinton's grandchildren.
"I just want to say this - and you guys see it: 'Free Rickey Hinton,'" one woman said.
Richards' family members had a few more words to say. Despite Hinton's heavy stare and their overwhelming grief, they expressed sympathy for Clemmons' family members.
"These (Richards') kids - at least get the fortune of having a legacy of having their parents be heroes. Those little kids (Clemmons' family members), we feel bad for them," said Richards' sister-in-law Melanie Burwell. "We feel bad for those families, because this is the legacy they have to live with. We wouldn't wish that on anybody."
Burwell said Richards' daughter is now dedicating her efforts to make sure Clemmons' accused accomplices are convicted and put in prison.
"There's no such thing as overcrowding in prison. Make them uncomfortable," Burwell said. "Stop providing monsters with entertainment, health care, (and) educations we can't even afford for our children."