KENNEWICK, WA (Sept. 11, 2021) Members of the Washington Fraternal Order of Police (WAFOP) issued their support today for a Renton police officer who was ambushed in her marked patrol car Tuesday, criticizing the initial low bail for the accused suspects.

WAFOP President Marco Monteblanco condemned the shooting and chastised the judge for setting such low bail for an unprovoked, violent attack on the officer, who was shot at multiple times. King County prosecutors initially requested $1 million bail for the shooting suspect and $250,000 for the accused getaway driver. A judge first set bail for the alleged shooter and getaway driver at $50,000 each. A second judge intervened and increased bail to $500,000 for the shooter and $50,000 for the driver.

“This is a vicious, unprovoked attack on a police officer by suspects who have a history of violence against law enforcement. Low bail for such an egregious act sends the wrong message and undermines the safety and good work of peace officers in the community,” said Monteblanco. “We are seeing more and more of these ambush-style attacks on peace officers and a low bail would have suggested there are minimal consequences for these actions. We cannot let these actions go unchecked,” he added.

“Tensions are already high in the law enforcement community. Many departments are understaffed, and officers are feeling tremendous pressure,” Monteblanco said. “Deliberate acts of violence that are clearly intended to kill an officer should be met with an appropriate response by the justice system. We appreciate the efforts of the second judge who intervened given the severity of the situation and increased the bail for the shooter, given his actions. Frankly, we’d still like to see higher bail for both suspects given the circumstances of this act.”

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