TACOMA -- The families of four Lakewood Police officers gunned down in 2009 now face the reopening of old wounds.



The man accused of driving the getaway car for the killer is getting a new trial.



The state Supreme Court tossed out Darcus Allen’s previous conviction, and on Friday the judge ordered him held on $4 million bail.



His conviction was thrown out earlier this year because the Supreme Court said the prosecutor prejudiced the jury.









“Our purpose here is to defend him,” said Allen’s defense attorney, Pete Mazzone. “We think he’s not guilty and we intend to show that now that we have another chance to do so.”



Allen was back inside a Pierce County courtroom for what could be called déjà vu.



“It’s unfortunate that the families and the community have to go through another trial like this,” said Pierce County prosecutor Mark Lindquist. “The road to justice can be a long one with obstacles but we will get there.”



In 2009, Maurice Clemmons walked into the Forza coffee shop on a Sunday morning and gunned down four Lakewood police officers who were working on reports.



Allen was accused of waiting for Clemmons and driving him out of the area; he was convicted and sentenced to more than 400 years in jail.



But in January, the Supreme Court ruled that prosecutors negatively impacted the jury’s decision, and now Allen’s case will be re-tried.



“It’s a formality, really, at this point,” said Mazzone. “They’re entitled to some bail; it doesn’t really matter what it is. And so they decided 4 million is their number; we’re not going to quarrel with that.”



Allen’s second trial risks reopening painful wounds for victim’s families, but Lindquist is confident the next jury will convict Allen again.



“Darcus Allen is in jail, he’s going to stay in jail through the trial, and I’m confident he’ll stay in jail after the trial,” he said. “The first jury got it right and I believe the second jury will get it right.”



Just how much the new trial is going to cost is still up in the air.



Allen will be back in court later this month.