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Deadly Incident Review and Recommendation Panel

The 2025 Executive Order regarding inquests created a Deadly Incident Review and Recommendation Panel. The panel will meet regularly to review jury findings and other details from each inquest. Panel members will also examine the statutes, policies, rules, practices, and training that apply to law enforcement and corrections officers in these cases. Panel members will recommend ways to improve standards and procedures to decrease deaths and other adverse outcomes during an interaction with law enforcement or corrections officers, while preserving the safety of officers and the public. The panel's recommendations are advisory only, and do not have any binding effect.

The panel has nine members, including a family member impacted by police violence, a mental health professional, law enforcement, attorneys, a retired judge, and an academic expert in law enforcement practices. Panel members are appointed by the County Executive.

For more information about the panel, or if you have questions about the panel and its duties, please email inquests@kingcounty.gov.

Panel members

Panel members are appointed for three-year terms, except for the first appointments to the panel as outlined in Section 4.4 of the 2025 Executive Order.

Name Area of Expertise
Po Leapai Civilian law enforcement oversight
Pending appointment Family member of a decedent
David B. Owens Civil rights attorney for plaintiffs challenging law enforcement practices
Perry Phipps Law enforcement agency leader
John Hayes Police officer with at least 10 years of experience
Robert Christie Defense attorney for law enforcement agencies and their employees
Pending appointment Licensed mental health professional
Pending appointment Retired judge or similar experience (Ph.D. in Administration of Justice with broad research and service expertise in criminology, criminal justice, and forensics)
Dr. Matt Hickman Academic expert in law enforcement practices