The Office of Independent Investigations or OII has a rather Orwellian ring to it.

Created by Dems at the bequest of Gov. Inslee, they will 'open' December 1st.

The OII was created by the legislature in 2021. Its job, according to supporters, is to 'fairly,' independently, and 'justly' investigate uses of excessive force by law enforcement, that result in the death of a person.

Gov. Inslee urged Democratic legislators to create the legislation to fund the office after allegations of increased use of police force against minorities, and other 'disadvantaged' persons in WA State. The OII was created around the time police pursuits and other law enforcement tactics were 'banned' by the legislature.

Fast-forward to 2024, and how the OII will begin operations in one of the states 6 regions it's been divided into. According to the OII page:

"OII is a limited authority law enforcement agency set up to investigate incidents where law enforcement officers use deadly force. The agency currently has offices in Olympia with plans to establish an office location in six regions around the state.

All investigations are conducted by the OII Investigations Division which includes a division director, a regional supervisor for each OII regional office, senior investigators, and investigators.

  • Regional supervisors - experienced investigators responsible for leading a team of other investigators.
  • Senior investigators - experienced investigators who conduct the investigations.
  • Investigators - staff with some experience in investigations undergoing field training to become proficient in conducting use of force investigations."

According to the page, apparently OII hopes to have 'civilian' personnel working out of the office down the road.

It's worth noting one of the OII Advisory Board Chairpersons, Fred Thomas, has a son who was shot and killed by law enforcement in 2013. Four board members have no experience in law enforcement, legal proceedings, or other related experience in this field.

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The Office will begin to take cases December 1st in Region 1, which is the westernmost counties along the WA Coast and some inland. Other regions will begin operations in  2025 and beyond.

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