tacoma police chief shoots wife
The couple had been going through a contentious divorce, with allegations of abuse from both sides. City attorneys said they heard no such recommendation. Crystal Brame is 5 feet tall and weighs about 105 pounds. But Gig Harbor Police Chief Mitchell Barker said Friday that Brames account is different from what his officers recall and records indicate. Right out of college, she got a job working for the Tacoma Police Department and the local courts. The Associated Press GIG HARBOR Tacoma Police Chief David Brame apparently shot his estranged wife then killed himself today, a day after her allegations of abuse were publicized in media. Through her attorney, Crystal declined to comment. It never took place, but Brame tried to engineer it, gaslighting and lying to both women. Meanwhile, his marriage collapsed. "The probability is strong that the chief shot his wife and then himself," Troyer said. That was 20 years ago. In New York City, 21-year-old model and budding actress Lyric Benson told friends she was scared of her ex, 33-year-old Robert Ambrosino. Brame rose through the ranks to become police chief in January 2002. The interwoven problems of staffing shortages and lowering hiring standards have a profound impact on law enforcement training and trainers. The couple's 8-year-old daughter and 5-year-old son were nearby when their father shot their mother, and then turned the gun on himself. Troyer would not say whether it was the chief's service weapon or precisely where the gun was found. Staff Writer. Their children, ages 8 and 5, were sitting in a nearby car. April 28, 2003 -- Witnesses who saw Tacoma Police Chief David Brame shoot his estranged wife in a parking lot just south of Seattle all remember the same thing: the couple's children. "The probability is strong that the chief shot his wife and then himself," Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said. ``I heard one of the children say, Daddy shot Mommy, words to that effect, said Dana Mossman. Those were wild days in Tacoma. Troyer would not say whether it was the chiefs service weapon or precisely where the gun was found. David Brame died at St. Joseph's Hospital in Tacoma about 6 p.m. His wife Crystal was in critical condition at Harborview Medical Center in Seattle. Police commanders also felt the incident warranted investigation. Police said Tucker was taken by a private vehicle to a local hospital, where he was declared dead. She attended the University of Washington, where she studied criminal justice, her friends said. One person died after a reported Saturday evening shooting in Tacoma, according to the Tacoma Police Department. Connect with the definitive source for global and local news. David Brame denied all of his wife's allegations, and said she had a "ferocious temper" that manifested itself in physical attacks, constant verbal abuse and threats to "drag him through the mud" and ruin his police career. A witness said she saw people in the parking lot running around and screaming after the shootings. Paramedics found Crystal Brame lying on the pavement beside her car, with the drivers side door ajar. Tacoma Police Chief David Brame kept a picture in his office, a framed portrait of a young executive: Al Pacino as cold-eyed Michael Corleone, the freshly anointed Godfather. It always feels strange to say that, since I wrote so much about him and know so much about him. I dont know. class kills 16-year-old, Washington school says, How Sound Transit loses people even in liberal cities like Tacoma | Opinion, Why didnt the picks-loaded Seahawks draft a quarterback? Officers recovered a Glock .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun from the crime scene. Our students are going to need continued support, says a director at Treehouse, a nonprofit that advocates for foster children and youth. The chief and his wife arrived in the parking lot separate cars, with the couples children in Crystal Brames vehicle. A witness said she saw people in the parking lot running around and screaming after the shootings. Im not interested in investigating any civil proceedings that he is going though at this time, Corpuz said that day. GIG HARBOR, Wash. (AP) _ Tacoma Police Chief David Brame was killed and his wife was injured in an apparent murder-suicide attempt Saturday, a day after abuse allegations in the couples divorce case were publicized in media reports. His vetting was iffy. They were in the care of their mothers parents Saturday night, Troyer said. Real-time updates and all local stories you want right in the palm of your hand. I never met Brame. Troyer said Brame was highly respected. Above all, he was local: a second-generation police commander, a sports star straight out of Lincoln High School. I cant stop myself from thinking about their piping voices, explaining what they saw in that parking lot. The chief and his wife arrived in the parking lot separate cars, with the couples children in Crystal Brames vehicle. The chief put their kids, Haley and David,Jr., in his car, before getting in his wife's vehicle. He accused his wife of having a ``ferocious temper and being emotionally unstable. Sheriff's spokesman Troyer said the dispatcher did not send an officer to the residence because Crystal Brame had called hours after the chief and his assistant had left, and she had no proof that Woodard or Chief Brame had threatened or intimidated her. "There's been enough damage done already," Mattheis said. Old rumors of his behavior included an allegation of sexual assault, deemed unproven after an internal investigation led to a he-said, she-said impasse. He was untouchable. The chief had been dealing with a departmental audit, said Mayor Bill Baarsma of Tacoma, but he didnt see evidence of any deeper problems. Catherine Woodard, assistant chief for criminal investigations, was named acting chief. Until then, most city officials had been unaware of Chief Brame's conflicts at home, Mayor Bill Baarsma of Tacoma said in an interview today. It did not appear anyone else was involved in the shooting. In April 2003, Tacoma Police Chief David Brame shot his 35-year-old estranged wife and himself in a strip-mall parking lot in Gig Harbor. It's unsurprising then that during ILEETA 2023, the topic was discussed at length. Seattle Times staff reporters Pamela Sitt, Ian Ith, J.J. Jensen, Sarah Anne Wright, Christine Clarridge and Marsha King contributed to this report. It was the fourth time in 2002 that he had tried to choke her, she said. The simple reality sounds old-fashioned 20 years later, but its the truth: We didnt know the background. Brame died at 5:43 p.m., 2 1/2 hours after the shootings in a Gig Harbor shopping . ", "He was exactly what you want," Troyer added, "rose up through the ranks, worked very hard and made chief.". The only leader with direct authority over Brame, City Manager Ray Corpuz, didnt know what to do about it. ``This is somebody everybody knew and respected., ``He was exactly what you want, Troyer added, ``rose up through the ranks, worked very hard and made chief.. class kills 16-year-old, Washington school says, How Sound Transit loses people even in liberal cities like Tacoma | Opinion, Why didnt the picks-loaded Seahawks draft a quarterback? POLICE Senior Editor Wayne Parham and Lawrence Kehoe, the training content specialist at MILO, discuss simulator training, content development, and using the AUFIRE System while running simulations with officers at ILEETA. What do you do when the boss falls apart? His wife, Crystal, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. "She gave up everything for her children and for David," Chatfield said. Crystal Brame accused her husband of pointing his gun at her, trying to choke her and saying he "could snap my neck if he wanted to.". He was also Mr. Brame's faculty adviser while a professor at the nearby University of Puget Sound. For the record, thats false. Brame took office, unveiled grand plans and gathered accolades. They were just running for safety," said Kirsten Oakland, 36, and a hair stylist at Harbor Cutter, a shop that looks out onto the parking lot. In the seven days between the police chief's suicide and the decision to remove his brain-dead widow from life support, a sensational shooting that had at first been perceived as a domestic. Tacoma Police Department @TacomaPD. A public man brought his private life to work and snarled his subordinates in the awkward details of his failed marriage. GIG HARBOR, Wash. Tacoma Police Chief David Brame shot his estranged wife then killed himself Saturday, a day after the woman's allegations of abuse were publicized in media reports.. Tacoma Police Chief Shoots Wife Before Killing Himself, Authorities Say, https://www.nytimes.com/2003/04/28/us/tacoma-police-chief-shoots-wife-before-killing-himself-authorities-say.html. POLICE Senior Editor Wayne Parham and Nicole Florisi, a law enforcement subject matter expert at VirTra, discuss simulator training and content while at ILEETA. His wife, Crystal, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head. Eventually, we got their answers. His reporting work includes award-winning coverage related to criminal justice, government accountability and public disclosure. She was found on the pavement beside her vehicle. Dispatch received reports at about 10:48 p.m. of shots fired. Police Say Tacoma Chief Shoots Wife, Self. It ended with a $12.5 million legal settlement, policy reforms and a domestic violence center named for Crystal Judson. I didnt know the womans name. They were in the care of their mother's parents Saturday night, Troyer said. Crystal Brame claimed that her husband pointed his gun at her and tried to choke her, saying he could snap her neck if he wanted to, court papers said. Subscribe Subscribe; e-Edition Again, Corpuz did not act. He and his wife, 35-year-old Crystal Brame, had been going through a divorce. Brame rose through the ranks to become police chief in Tacoma, a city of 194,000, in January 2002. For six years, Brame was chief contract negotiator for the police union, representing patrol officers. At the time of the shootings, the Brames were three months into a bitter divorce, with each making claims and counterclaims against the other. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Chief David Brame, 44, was pronounced dead at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Detective Ed Troyer of the Pierce County sheriff's office said. The shootings took place around 3:10 p.m. in the parking lot of a shopping center in this town northwest of Tacoma, Pierce County sheriffs spokesman Ed Troyer said. That was all. When I got to my desk that morning, I found a sticky note left by an editor: My job was to find a woman who said Brame, then a young police officer, had raped her at gunpoint in 1988, 13 years before he became chief. Police Say Tacoma Chief Shoots Wife, Self. Chief Brame ''just seemed to be the absolute perfect choice'' for the job, Mr. Baarsma said. Honestly, I dont remember how I found the woman, but I did, and wrote a story, under the watchful eye of TNT Executive Editor David Zeeck. Brame rose through the ranks to become police chief in Tacoma, a city of 194,000, in January 2002. He was a Tacoma native and a graduate of Lincoln High School in the city's working class East Side neighborhood. "She's one of the most thoughtful people I've ever met. Police Say Tacoma Chief Shoots Wife, Self TIM KLASS April 26, 2003 GIG HARBOR, Wash. (AP) _ Tacoma Police Chief David Brame was killed and his wife was injured in an apparent murder-suicide attempt Saturday, a day after abuse allegations in the couple's divorce case were publicized in media reports. The chief and his wife arrived in the parking lot separate cars, with the couples children in Crystal Brames vehicle. Old records, including sworn statements from Corpuz, show he had no shortage of information. And he made Crystal out to be crazy.. For the next two months, Brame was an untouchable shipwreck. One person died after a reported Saturday evening shooting in Tacoma, according to the Tacoma Police Department. He also saw a bystander pick up the handgun and then make a call on his cellphone. But youll have to wait until I get home, because I have to give it to you in person.. ABCNEWS' Neal Karlinsky reported this story on Good Morning America. Tacoma, Wash., Police Chief David Brame, 44, shot his wife in the head in a mall parking lot before fatally shooting himself. His wife had climbed out of the car before collapsing on the pavement. Brame put the children in his car, then returned to his wife's car, got in the passenger seat, then fired his gun twice. As his wife was getting into their car, he heard two gunshots. Many other people were screaming and running from the parking lot. Neither incident was reported to police, and Brame denied choking or pointing his gun at her. I interviewed the woman who said Brame had raped her. I didnt work Saturday because I was the regular Sunday reporter at the time, and editors needed to save one fresh staffer after the first-day flurry of breaking news. The children were left in David Brames car while he and Crystal Brame sat in her car and argued. He earned a bachelor degree in public administration from the University of Puget Sound. That night, Brame called her from Las Vegas, where he was attending a labor-management seminar. Then came Brame. In court papers, Brame said his wife scratched, bruised and pushed him during two fights in September 1996. Corpuz told The News Tribune he would not investigate the chief. Brame was pronounced dead at 5:52 p.m. at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Troyer said. So, you are on the hunt for new training technology to improve the learning, experience and retainment of knowledge for your agency. Barker said Brame was "vague" about his marital problems and did not report any physical assault. David Brame, 44, died at a hospital a short time. Brame brought Crystal to a marriage counseling session with the police chaplain. "The girl was over the top of her mother after she had been shot and was pulled off by a witness," said Ed Troyer of the Pierce County Sheriff's Department. His administrative assistant, Jeanette Blackwell, described the numbing routine to investigators. ``The probability is strong that the chief shot his wife and then himself, Pierce County Sheriffs spokesman Ed Troyer said. The chief and his wife arrived in the parking lot separate cars, with the couple's children in Crystal Brame's vehicle. The passage of time boggles my mind. Life was about Crystal Brame, Blackwell said. His wife, Crystal, was flown to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle in critical condition. The shooting took place around 3:10 p.m. in the parking lot of a shopping center in this town northwest of Tacoma, Troyer said. Subscribe Subscribe; e-Edition For me, it started the day after Brame fatally shot his wife, Crystal Judson, then himself, in a Gig Harbor parking lot as the couple's two young children watched in horror. The wife of Tacoma Police Chief David Brame was in critical condition with a gunshot wound. I had a pen and a notebook, not a smartphone. Dispatch received reports at about 10:48 p . Receive the latest law enforcement in-depth information, news and products. At work, Brame talked of his crumbling marriage to anyone who would listen, from assistant chiefs and captains to his administrative assistant. Brame was pronounced dead at 5:52 p.m. at St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma, Pierce County Sheriffs spokesman Ed Troyer said. Woodard told Corpuz of the alleged death threats and twice asked the city manager to do something about the troubled chief, according to records. Currently Reading. The QB they wanted at 5 was gone, Man fatally shot on Puyallup tribal trust land identified by the medical examiner, Wrong-way driver kills Auburn man in head-on crash early Sunday, State Patrol says, Food insecurity on rise in Pierce County. IPMBA shares a few examples of why they work so well in certain situations. Why Bicycles are Great for Police and First Responders. Police and other first responders can use bicycles in a variety of ways. Turning tragedy into fight for DV victims. Crystal Brame did not have a protective order against her husband, according to police and court records. Corpuz told him to focus on work. In their divorce case, Crystal Brame had accused her husband of choking her and threatening to kill her, while Chief Brame said that his wife had physically and verbally abused him, according to court records cited by The News Tribune. In the divorce papers, David Brame claimed he had been victimized in the relationship. At Tacoma Police Department headquarters on South Pine Street, where Chief Avery Moore has held the top job since 2022, portraits line the wall of the chiefs conference room. "She was on her back, and there was blood everywhere. Sheehan dropped the chief off and called Corpuz. Six months after the shootings, then-Attorney General Christine Gregoire described the department as culturally corrupt.. ''He rose through the ranks, always finishing at the top,'' Mr. Baarsma said. The Crystal Judson Family Justice Center is part of Lanes legacy as much as Crystals. A Model Police Chief Investigators say Brame, 44, shot his wife in the head, then killed himself inside her car at a shopping center parking lot after what police believe was a pre-arranged meeting Saturday. Police Say Tacoma Chief Shoots Wife, Self. In court papers, Brame said his wife scratched, bruised and pushed him during two fights in September 1996. Editors note: This story, examining the aftermath of the David Brame scandal and its effect on the city of Tacoma, was originally published in 2013.