The Brame Case

May 4, 2003 — David Brame was the 44 year-old Chief of Police of Tacoma in western Washington. On Saturday, April 26, 2003, David Brame shot his estranged wife, Crystal, in the parking lot of a Gig Harbor shopping plaza, then turned the gun — a .45 caliber Glock semiautomatic (possibly his service weapon) — on himself. David Brame died 2½ hours later; Crystal Brame lingered for seven days with a gun shot wound to the head.

The couple had two children and were going through a “stormy” divorce that had become public.

David Brame was appointed Chief of Police of Tacoma in January 2002. Reports after the fact questioned how Brame rose in the ranks, as he did, to become police chief considering psychological evaluations, done at the time of his hiring in 1981, recommended he not be hired as a police officer. Other incidents throughout his career have given rise to questions of why those incidents did not trigger concern in his superiors. One incident alleged he raped a woman in the late 80s.

David Brame's prior marriage ended in divorce in 1987. In divorce papers, Crystal Brame alleged spousal abuse and claimed Chief Brame pointed a gun at her and threatened to kill her. The couple had two children, ages 8 and 5. Both children were present when Brame shot his wife then himself.

The best coverage of the Brame tragedy can be found at The News Tribune out of Tacoma, Washington, or by clicking on the picture at the right.

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