On Dec. 1, 2024, the Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII) will start actively responding to use of deadly force cases in Southwest Washington and on the Olympic Peninsula. These investigations are currently conducted by independent teams of local law enforcement agencies.
To effectively manage its resources, OII will begin its statewide operations in phases. The agency has six areas of operations across the state. It will begin its active responses in “Region 1 - West,” which includes Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Clark, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Jefferson, Kitsap, Skamania, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties.
OII will begin by investigating only cases where a commissioned Washington law enforcement officer used deadly force that resulted in a death at the time of the incident.
In the coming weeks prior to Dec. 1, OII will focus on response preparations including meeting with law enforcement officials, members of the community, and others to share more details about its operations and start plans.
“This is a significant milestone for our agency and the state of Washington. I arrived here two years ago when we did not have employees, infrastructure, policies, or a training program. What we had was a singular mission to conduct fair, thorough, transparent, and competent investigations. It has taken a lot of hard work to reach this point. I am proud of what we are building,” OII Director Roger Rogoff said. “While starting in stages is not ideal, this strategy will allow OII to begin investigations with the team we have now, while we continue to grow. This is the first step to being an independent investigation agency for the entire state.”
Region 1-West will be led by a regional supervisor who has extensive training and experience in use of force investigations. The team will include senior investigators with extensive homicide or use of force investigations training and will pair them with newly trained investigators who are in a field training program.
The agency will have a family liaison for each of its six regions who will provide ongoing communications with the family of the person killed and help connect them to available resources and support. There will also be community liaisons for Eastern and Western Washington who will serve a vital role in connecting with local communities across Washington State.
OII also has a Tribal Relations Program designed to build and maintain meaningful government to government relations with all of Washington’s sovereign tribes, ensuring tribal leaders and tribal police departments have information about cases OII is investigating that affect tribal members.
OII will expand into other regions as it hires more investigators and acquires the additional resources needed for an investigative team, from response vehicles to evidence storage facilities and other required tools. This phased approach lets the current staff begin conducting investigations while OII hires and trains additional investigators.
Currently, OII has 22 investigators throughout the state, with eight on the east side of the state and 14 on the west side. Several more are in the hiring process. OII estimates that 15-18 trained investigators are needed per region to quickly and effectively respond to a use of deadly force incident. Those members of the team not responding in person will be available to provide support, which could include records searching, file review, or digital evidence management and examination, for example.
The OII Advisory Board co-chairs, Fred Thomas, whose son was shot and killed by police in 2013, and Eric Drever, chief of the Tukwila Police Department, welcomed the news that OII will begin responding to use of deadly force incidents this year.
“This office has the opportunity to make a historical change in society,” Thomas said. “I’m proud of all the community members who have worked so hard to get us here. We now have a date to share for when OII will begin investigating cases.”
Drever said most law enforcement agencies have likewise been preparing for OII investigators to become active.
“This is great news and I’m glad OII has reached this point,” Drever said. “Law enforcement officers in Washington have had to adjust to a lot of changes in recent years, and many are wondering how things will work with the OII teams. They won’t have to wait much longer. Most just want these investigations to be conducted fairly and competently, and I know that Director Rogoff and his team are committed to doing that.”
The next step of OII’s expansion will be determined once it is certain that the infrastructure and number of investigators available to a region will support an active response. OII will provide ample notice to the local community and law enforcement agencies before it responds to the first call in their area.
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The state Legislature created OII in 2021 to conduct independent and unbiased investigations of deadly use of force by law enforcement. OII is unique in the nation and has a civilian director. It works with an 11-member advisory board that reviews and provides input on agency policies.
For media inquires contact Hector Castro, Director of Communications and Community Relations, hector.castro@oii.wa.gov or 360-870-8115.