Case number: OII-2025-0001
Olympia, Wash. (March 13, 2025) – The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII) is 60 days into its investigation of a use of deadly force incident that occurred in Centralia, Wash. on Jan. 12, 2025. By statute, OII is directed to complete its investigations within 120 days or report the reason for the delay to the OII Advisory Board.
The incident under investigation occurred in an apartment in the 400 block of North Ash Street, Centralia. Just before 11 a.m. on Jan. 12, 2025, Centralia Police Officer Ruben Ramirez contacted Alecandro A. Castaneda, 23, in response to a 911 call regarding a domestic dispute.
A struggle ensued during which Officer Ramirez fired his weapon. Mr. Castaneda was shot and died from his injuries. The Lewis County Coroner’s Office reported that Mr. Castaneda suffered two gunshot wounds, one to his chest and the other to his thigh.
OII investigators took custody of Officer Ramirez’s firearm, a .45 caliber Sig Sauer semi-automatic handgun, which is currently undergoing testing.
OII investigators have conducted several interviews and are in the process of obtaining and reviewing body-worn camera videos and in-car videos from four law enforcement agencies that responded to the scene - the Centralia Police Department, Chehalis Police Department, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) and the Washington State Patrol (WSP).
An OII family liaison has been assigned to keep Mr. Casteneda’s family informed of the progress of the investigation. The family liaison role serves as a point of contact with impacted family members throughout the OII investigation and can connect family members to any needed and available community resources.
This investigation remains active and ongoing. Once the investigation is completed, a Final Case Report will be posted to the OII website. No further updates are anticipated until the final report is completed.
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The Washington State Legislature created OII in 2021 to conduct independent and unbiased investigations of deadly use of force by law enforcement. It works with an 11-member advisory board that reviews and provides input on agency policies. To view this on the web, visit oii.wa.gov/news-and-updates.
For media inquiries, contact Hector Castro, Director of Communications and Community Relations, at hector.castro@oii.wa.gov or 360-870-8115.