By Pepper Fisher
SEQUIM – Investigators on Friday released additional information about last month’s attack on a Sequim police officer and the murder of the suspect’s mother.
The early morning incident on May 19 began with a routine traffic stop. We learned Friday that the officer involved was Daniel Martinez, a 4-year veteran of law enforcement. The suspect, 34-year-old Bret Kenney, jumped from his vehicle and attacked Martinez from behind, including stripping him of his sidearm. During the struggle, Officer Martinez’s weapon discharged twice, but neither was hit by the rounds.
The incident ended when three passing citizens assisted the officer in restraining Kenney until two Clallam County deputies arrived and made the arrest. Those deputies were identified Friday as Deputy Jeff Pickrell, a 26-year law enforcement veteran, and Deputy Bill Cortani, a 31-year law enforcement veteran.
Kenney has been held, with no bail, in the Clallam County Jail since that time.
Later that same morning, law enforcement received a request for a welfare check on a woman in the 100 block of Senz Road near Sequim, Kenney’s residence and the home of his mother, Teri D. Ward. Port Angeles police officers checked the residence and found a deceased woman inside, who was later identified as Ward, and a homicide investigation began.
On May 26, Dr. Croom of the King County Medical Examiner’s Office conducted an autopsy on Teri Ward’s body. We learned Friday that Dr. Croom determined the manner of Ward’s death was homicide, and the cause of her death was multiple sharp-force injuries to her neck.
Investigators located evidence linking Kenney to Ward’s murder, and on Friday the Clallam County Prosecutor’s Office added the charge of first degree premeditated murder with Terri Ward as the victim. Additional charges are, attempted second degree murder with aggravators against the involved officer, assault in the first degree with aggravators against the involved officer, and disarming an officer.
With two strikes against him for previous violent felony convictions, Kenney faces mandatory life in prison without the possibility of parole.