Getaway driver in Lakewood cop killings gets new trial

SEATTLE (AP) — The man who drove the get-away car for Maurice Clemmons, who fatally shot four Lakewood police officers in 2009, is headed back to trial.

The Washington Supreme Court on Thursday ruled that a prosecutor's misconduct during the trial of Darcus Dewayne Allen negatively impacted the jury, so Allen should be tried again.

The justices overturned Allen's aggravated murder convictions and his 420-year sentence.

Allen had claimed he didn't know Clemmons planned to kill the officers when Allen drove him to a carwash in November 2009. Allen had gone into a minimart while Clemmons went into a coffee shop and shot the officers.

The high court said during Allen's trial, the prosecutor repeatedly gave the jury an incorrect definition when describing whether Allen had "knowledge" of Clemmons' plans