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Prior Investigations Submissions

The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII) is authorized to investigate use of deadly force if new evidence is provided that was not included in the initial investigation. Currently, OII is only reviewing incidents that resulted in a fatality.

Submitting a case to OII is not a guarantee that a new investigation will be conducted. 

Once your submission is sent, OII will confirm it has been received using the contact information you provide.

Here is what to expect:

  • OII will conduct a preliminary screening of all submissions to determine if a formal review should be done.
  • Submissions that meet basic criteria, including identifying new evidence, will receive a formal review. OII will make reasonable attempts to notify the family of the deceased and the involved officers, then the review status of the case will be posted here: Prior Investigation Status.
  • Upon completion of a formal review, a recommendation will be made to the OII director whether or not to open a new investigation.
  • If a new investigation is opened, all parties involved in the original incident will be notified prior to a public announcement being made.

The complete policy is here: OII Prior Investigations of Deadly Use of Force Policy 

Please complete as much of the submission form as you can

Supporting documentation

Currently, any documents or materials that support your request for review must be mailed to us. Please send any supporting materials to:

Washington State Office of Independent Investigations
P.O. Box 40270
Olympia, WA 98504
C/O Prior Investigations Review Team

Please include a note with your name, contact information, and the name of the person killed in this incident.

Please be advised of the following:

  • OII will try to notify the affected person, affected family member, or their representative that a request for review of their case has been made, unless they are the party submitting the request.
  • Your request, any supporting documents you provide, and the OII review itself may be subject to public disclosure under the Washington State Public Records Act.
  • There is no timeline for completion of an OII review, which will depend on available resources and workload.

Questions?

Please email Investigations@oii.wa.gov if you have any questions or need more information about our Prior Investigations Program.