February 17, 2022
On Wednesday, February 16, 2022, at approximately 11:19pm, the Skagit-Island Multiple Agency Response Team was activated at the request of the Sedro Woolley Police Department to investigate an officer involved shooting incident.
The Washington State Legislature enacted WAC 139-12-030 (2019) establishing requirements for how agencies conduct independent investigation’s involving police deadly force use. The intent was to enhance public trust and investigation integrity by providing independence, transparency, communication, a credible process, and credible investigators performing that process.
Within these requirements, the Independent Investigation Team (S.M.A.R.T.) is required to have Citizen Representatives assigned, Family Liaison Representatives for the involved families, determine if Tribal membership is associated and assign a Tribal Liaison accordingly. These are required before we are able to release investigation progress to the public.
SMART is currently working to fill these requirements and this is the reason for a delay in sharing investigative progress publicly. This, however, is not delaying critical investigative work.
Additionally, the law requires SMART’s investigation remain totally separate from the involved agency (Sedro Woolley) including the sharing of any investigation information with them until the case is filed with a prosecutor.
We recognize this could be confusing and may even give an appearance of judgment about a case because the Involved Agency and the Skagit-Island Multiple Agency Response Team are sharing information differently when the public asks questions. This is not the intent nor inference that should be taken. Any information provided by the involved agency will come from sources separate from our investigation.
Skagit-Island Multiple Agency Response Team is committed to a credible process that complies with Washington State law.