4 flagpoles go up near coffee shop where Lakewood officers were killed

Firefighters helped raise four flagpoles Wednesday outside a Parkland coffee shop where four Lakewood police officers were killed nearly a year ago.

The poles are part of a memorial being built in honor of police Sgt. Mark Renninger and officers Tina Griswold, Ronald Owens and Greg Richards. The memorial at 116th Street South and Steele Street South is near the Forza coffee shop where the officers were gunned down Nov. 29.

The memorial is one of two under construction in honor of the fallen officers. The Lakewood Police Department is building a memorial outside its headquarters at 9401 Lakewood Drive S.W.

Forty Pierce and King county restaurants, coffee shops and other businesses participated in a fundraising event last week for the memorials, which officials hope to complete by the anniversary of the slayings.

So far, the event has raised $22,000, said Kit Ford, executive director for the Behind the Badge Foundation, which helped organize the event.

Restaurants continue to tally their results from the “Dine Out” event and send donations into the foundation. Ford expects more donations to come in this week and possibly into next.