police accountability
What advocacy groups want from lawmakers in 2024
Ahead of every legislative session, dozens of nonprofits, industry groups, unions and government agencies let lawmakers know what they want done — more money for schools, less restrictions on certain types of housing, programs to recruit and retain police officers, exemptions from the state’s new climate programs. But in a short session like next year’s, […]
Snohomish County’s new sheriff seeks a reset for her department
From an early age, Susanna Johnson wanted to be a cop. At 22, she got her dream job with the sheriff’s department in Washington’s third most populous county. In a few weeks, Johnson will become the new Snohomish County sheriff, capping three decades of wearing a badge, nearly all of it for the law enforcement […]
Washington watches as trial of 3 Tacoma officers accused of killing Manny Ellis gets underway
Opening statements are expected Tuesday in the high-profile trial of three Tacoma police officers charged in the March 3, 2020 death of Manuel Ellis. Ellis, a Black man, died after a chaotic altercation with the officers on a city street, which took place as he was walking home from a trip to a convenience store […]
WA Supreme Court strikes down restrictions on sheriffs’ use of tear gas
Washington’s Supreme Court in a 5-4 decision on Thursday invalidated some of the restrictions the state Legislature put on law enforcement’s use of tear gas to suppress riots. The ruling overturns part of a state law passed in 2021 that requires police to get approval from the highest elected official in the jurisdiction where tear […]
Less than a third of WA police certified in new deescalation and mental health training
Carlos Hunter was killed by police officers who tased him and shot him 16 times during a 2019 traffic stop for a search warrant in Vancouver, Washington. A Clark County prosecutor determined that the police acted lawfully. But a lawsuit Hunter’s family filed last year describes a chaotic scene in the moments that led up […]
New agency now accepting requests to review cases of police deadly force
The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations is now accepting requests to review prior cases where law enforcement officers used deadly force – the latest step in setting up the state’s newest agency. Charged with conducting transparent and unbiased investigations into fatal incidents involving police, the agency has launched an online submission form for members […]