Starting May 1, 2026, fatal police encounters in Pierce County will no longer be investigated by a local law enforcement team. Instead, the state’s Office of Independent Investigations (OII) will take over those probes, shifting responsibility for the county’s most serious officer-involved cases to a new, civilian-led state agency. OII staff are in town this week, holding community meetings to introduce investigators and explain how the office plans to work here.
According to the Office of Independent Investigations, the agency expects to begin responding to deadly-force incidents in Pierce County on May 1 as part of a regional expansion. OII began work in southwest Washington and on the Olympic Peninsula late last year, and says its mission is to provide independent, civilian-led investigations of officer uses of deadly force.
Who Handled These Cases Before
Until now, Pierce County’s go-to unit for officer-involved deadly-force cases has been the multi-agency Force Investigation Team, known as PCFIT. The team pulls detectives, forensic technicians and public information officers from departments across the county and is set up to respond when police use deadly force.
PCFIT operates under state independent-investigation rules and issues public notices as investigations move forward, according to Pierce County. The countywide memorandum that formally created PCFIT was authorized in mid-2020, according to City of Lakewood.
How Investigations Will Change
When the new system kicks in, OII will focus on fatal incidents only, while local teams like PCFIT will continue to investigate non-fatal uses of force and related underlying crimes. That division of labor was outlined by OII communications director Hector Castro in comments to The News Tribune.
The state office also says it will publish reports online after investigations conclude and is required by law to complete its work within 120 days or explain publicly why it needs more time, according to the Office of Independent Investigations. Supporters argue the move could boost independence and public confidence in the toughest cases, while some activists remain wary of how the agency is staffed and of law-enforcement experience on some investigative teams.
Community Meetings This Week
To get ahead of the changeover, OII staff are holding two public events in Pierce County this week:
- An in-person open house this Thursday from 6–8 p.m. at the Tacoma Mall Office Building, 4301 S. Pine St., Suite 200
- A virtual community meeting next Thursday from 6–7:30 p.m.
The schedule and registration details are being shared by Rep. Laurie Jinkins’ office and link to OII’s registration page. See Rep. Laurie Jinkins for times and registration information.
Why the Switch Matters
Calls to create a statewide, civilian-led investigative office grew louder after several high-profile incidents in the region, most notably the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis in Tacoma. That case helped trigger a governor’s task force and, eventually, legislation establishing OII.
Lawmakers approved the measure in 2021, and the agency has been staffing up and rolling out regional operations since late 2024, when it began handling cases in a dozen counties in southwest Washington and on the Olympic Peninsula. For broader reporting on how the office came together and its phased rollout, see OPB.
What to Watch Next
Residents and advocacy groups will be watching closely to see whether OII delivers more transparent and timely investigations and whether the office can keep up with staffing demands as it expands.
PCFIT will continue to provide its own updates on local investigations, so for now Pierce County families and the broader public can expect two streams of information during this transition period. For the county’s explanation of PCFIT procedures and public notifications, see Pierce County.
