State investigators continue probe into fatal April use-of-force incident in Olympia
Washington’s Office of Independent Investigations is continuing its investigation into a fatal use-of-deadly-force incident that occurred in Olympia on April 28, 2026, and involved the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
The state agency established a public tip line for information about the case. It has said a final case report will be posted after the investigation is complete.
The investigation remained open and had not been finally adjudicated as of the latest available update, which remained current in late July. No final investigative findings or prosecutorial decision were available in the supplied material.
What the state agency has confirmed
The Office of Independent Investigations identified Olympia as the location of the April 28 fatal incident. The agency’s public update, issued April 30, identified the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office as the involved law-enforcement agency.
The available information confirms one fatal use-of-deadly-force incident. It does not provide further details about the event itself beyond its date, location and the involvement of the sheriff’s office.
Investigators are seeking information from the public through the tip line established for the case. The agency has not provided a final report, and its investigation is still underway.
Details not yet available
The available update does not identify the person who died, the deputies involved or the circumstances that led to the shooting. It also does not identify a suspect or assign wrongdoing to any person or agency.
Because the investigation has not been completed, the material available does not establish whether the use of force was justified or unjustified. It also does not contain a final investigative conclusion or a prosecutorial decision.
Those distinctions remain important in a case involving a fatal use of force: the ongoing investigation is not itself a finding about what occurred or whether anyone acted unlawfully.
Timeline and next step
The incident occurred April 28 in Olympia. Two days later, on April 30, the Office of Independent Investigations issued its public update from Tumwater, saying it was investigating the incident and had set up a tip line.
The next known step is completion of the agency’s investigation and publication of its final case report. Until then, the public information in the supplied material remains limited, and the case has not reached a final resolution.
Sources
- Update 1 – OII investigating deadly force incident involving Thurston County Sheriff’s Office, sets up tip line, Washington State Office of Independent Investigations