Washington agency to take over investigations in deadly officer shootings in Clark County

Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII) will take over investigations of police shootings in Clark County starting December 2024, with the agency planning to expand into other regions as more investigators join their ranks.

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – Recent police shootings in Clark County have prompted local law enforcement to hand off investigations to a state agency in December 2024.

The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII) will look into cases where commissioned Washington law enforcement officers “used deadly force that resulted in a death at the time of the incident.”

Investigators will begin with the Thurston, Lewis, Mason, Clark, Clallam, Grays Harbor, Pacific, Jefferson, Kitsap, Skamania, Cowlitz, and Wahkiakum counties as part of their Southwest Washington and Olympic Peninsula response. They eventually plan to expand into other regions as more investigators join their ranks.

“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,” OII Director Roger Rogoff said. “This is the first step to being an independent investigation agency for the entire state.”

Two deadly use-of-force cases took place in Clark County last month.

The first took place on June 8 on the West side of Vancouver near Fourth Street and Columbia Street. Footage of the shooting appears to show 43-year-old Vadim Sashchenko brandishing a gun at officers and chucking it into the street moments before one officer opened fire, killing him.

The second happened on June 17, when officers opened fire on Jonathan West Nelson, 40, whom police say pointed a gun at people in a McDonald’s parking lot on Northeast Andersen Road. He died of multiple gunshot wounds on the public sidewalk.

Washington legislators approved the creation of OII in 2021 to “conduct independent and unbiased investigations of deadly use of force by law enforcement,” with an 11-member advisory board and a growing team of investigators.

So far, OII has hired 22 investigators throughout Washington, with 14 currently available for the western half of the state. The agency said 15-18 trained investigators will be required per region to “quickly and effectively respond to a use of deadly force incident.”

“This office has the opportunity to make a historical change in society,” OII Advisory Board co-chair Fred 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.”