Our reporter, Ian Demsky, reports that an convoy of Stryker combat vehicles left the Port of Tacoma at about 9:45, presumably headed for Fort Lewis.

In the meantime, about 40 anti-war protesters were marching up Portland Avenue, perhaps headed toward the site where a military cargo ship was docked, offloading Strykers and other vehicles returned from the Iraq war zone.

Ian said there had been no arrests or incidents. He’ll continue to monitor the situation.

UPDATE: At 11:30, Ian Demsky called to report the situation at the port mostly quiet. About three dozen anti-war demonstrators remained, occasionally

Read more »

A man was killed minutes ago when he allegedly jumped in front of a car in the 3200 block of Pacific Avenue, Tacoma police reported.

This happened about 3:40 p.m., spokesman Mark Fulghum said.

Officers were responding to the scene. Expect road blocks and traffic delays through the area as traffic officers investigate.

Peninsula-based sheriff’s deputies are asking the public’s help in finding the people who broke into a car at the Gig Harbor Athletic Club and stole a briefcase containing personal and financial documents.

The theft occurred Sunday about 3:30 p.m. A bystander witnessed the incident and provided deputies with descriptions, the Sheriff’s Department’s Peninsula detachment reported Wednesday.

One suspect was described a man with a darker complexion. He was wearing a backward baseball hat. The second suspect, who was seen stealing the briefcase, was described as a light-skinned man, 5 feet 9 and 200 pounds, with a stocky build,

Read more »

Tacoma police have identified a man suspected of robbing a Bank of America branch earlier this month.

Now, a warrant has been issued for the arrest of Stefano Andolini, who also goes by Jerald Helsel, on suspicion of first-degree robbery.

Investigators believe the 45-year-old Andolini (pictured here) robbed the bank branch in the 3400 block of South 23rd Street about 3:30 p.m. July 17.

He walked into the bank and handed a teller a robbery note that demanded cash. He grabbed the cash in his hands and ran out

Read more »

Yesterday, a small contingent of Tacoma police officials honored one of their own – slain officer Minor Cudihee, who was killed in the line of duty July 30, 1892 – with a ceremony at his grave site in Michigan.

I wrote a story about Minor’s death and the search for his grave that ran in yesterday’s paper. Find that here.

The television station WILX covered the memorial service in Jackson, Mich. You can find their story and video of the event here.

The Tacoma Police Department reported this morning that Kayla Moody has been found and is OK.

She returned on her own, police spokesman Mark Fulghum said. She was interviewed by a detective about what happened.

Fulghum said the 17-year-old girl was a willing participant in the events that transpired.

The King County Sheriff’s Office will show off it’s new Guardian One aircraft today at a press conference.

The new aircraft is a Bell 407. It was built in Canada and outfitted for police duties in Tennessee. A federal Department of Homeland Security grant of $3.4 million paid for the new aircraft, the Sheriff’s Office reported.

The helicopter will be used in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties to fight crime, search for missing persons and be an asset in natural disasters or a terrorist incident. The office also has air contracts with the state Department of Ecology,

Read more »

I didn’t get up to Seattle today for Day 4 of Barbara Corey v. Pierce County.

However, I heard Corey’s team of lawyers called deputy prosecutor Kit Proctor to the stand as well as former Idaho attorney general Larry Echohawk.

Proctor is friends with Corey and was expected to testify about her interactions with the plaintiff in the hours and weeks after she was forced to resign – then was fired – following an unpopular personnel move in the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Echohawk, now a law professor in Utah, was expected to testify

Read more »