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Independent Investigative Team (SIU)
The purpose of the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) is to investigate officer-involved incidents occurring within Benton, Franklin and Walla Walla Counties that involve substantial bodily harm or death. In accordance with RCW 10.114.011, the SIU shall conduct an independent criminal investigation to determine the facts of what occurred. The results of the SIU investigation shall be forwarded to the venue county prosecutor’s office for review. The prosecutor’s office, not the SIU, will interpret statutory law as it pertains to the incident and determine if there were any criminal violations.
The SIU shall meet the definition and criteria of Independent Investigative Team (IIT) as defined by WAC 139-12. The SIU unit commander is responsible for ensuring SIU complies with relevant RCW’s and WAC’s.
SIU criminal investigations shall follow the rules of law established by the state and federal constitutions and statutory and case law applicable to criminal investigations. The independent investigation shall be performed in a manner that provides both the appearance and the reality of an objective, thorough, fair, complete and professional investigation that is free of conflicts of interest.
While SIU does not investigate administrative concerns the employer agency may have, it is recognized the criminal investigation results are of interest to the venue and employer agencies for their internal use. The results of the SIU criminal investigation will be fully available to the venue and employer agencies for that purpose unless otherwise prohibited by law.
In accordance with state law, to include RCW 10.114.011 and WAC 139-12, the mission of SIU shall be:
A. To perform the criminal investigation of officer-involved incidents likely to result in substantial bodily harm or death;
B. To apply best-practice methods for a thorough and complete criminal investigation;
C. To promote public trust by conducting independent, objective, professional, and consistent multi-jurisdictional investigations of officer-involved incidents involving substantial bodily harm or death;
D. To maximize the availability and sharing of the latest technological equipment and techniques;
E. To consolidate and share the skills of the most experienced and qualified commanders, supervisors and investigators;
F. To conduct thorough investigations in a timely fashion.