Gov. Inslee appoints director to head up ‘first of its kind’ Office of Independent Investigations

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Governor Jay Inslee announced the appointment of Roger Rogoff as the director of the Office of Independent Investigations on Tuesday.

The agency, which will be the first of its kind in the country, will conduct investigations into potential criminal conduct arising from police use of deadly force, independent of involved law enforcement agencies.

The OII was established by the legislature and signed into law by Inslee in May 2021.

Inslee requested the creation of the agency based on recommendations from a task force convened in 2020 following the deaths of George Floyd and Manuel Ellis.

“The legislature finds that there has been an outpouring of frustration, anger, and demand for change from many members of the public over the deaths of people of color resulting from encounters with police,” the bill reads in part. “The legislature intends that the office of independent investigations be created to conduct investigations of use of force and other cases under its jurisdiction in a manner that is competent, unbiased, and thorough.”

Rogoff, who has a 27-year history in the criminal justice system, most recently served as legal counsel for Microsoft, working on matters of public safety and data privacy.

He has also served as a judge in King County Superior Court and spent 13 years as a senior deputy prosecuting attorney with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office.

Rogoff was also a participant in the Washington State Criminal Justice Task Force, which reviewed the state’s sentencing laws and produced a report with recommendations for improvements.

Rogoff’s appointment is effective June 16.

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