King County Sheriff Resumes Redmond Police Shooting Investigation

REDMOND, WA — The King County Prosecuting Attorney has asked the sheriff's office to complete a supplemental investigation before his office decides whether to file criminal charges in a Redmond police shooting, officials announced Tuesday.

Under state law, police use of force that leads to death or serious injuries must be investigated by an outside agency. After the investigation, county prosecutors review the findings to determine whether the officers broke any laws.

In the Redmond case, King County detectives forwarded their initial investigation to prosecutors in January. On Tuesday, the sheriff's office said prosecutors returned the case without a decision, asking detectives to collect more information.

The investigation follows the death of a 39-year-old Redmond woman in September, shot by officers responding to a 911 call from her apartment complex. Police said the woman told dispatchers someone was trying to kill her. When officers arrived, they said the woman was standing on her balcony and told them she may have shot someone. Police said the woman pointed a gun at the officers at some point, and they fired several shots.

The police shooting was the department's first in more than two years.

The King County Sheriff's Office said it would return the updated investigation as soon as "all relevant information is gathered" and provide another update once prosecutors make a final charging decision.