The below is the Weekly Press Release for the investigation of the fatal shooting of Nicholas Ellingson by an Auburn Police Officer on December 17, 2020. This release is required by WAC 139-12 even if there is no new information to provide. We will publish each release, even if there are no new updates. This release has not been edited from its original form. (pdf)
Note: The Auburn Examiner inadvertently failed to publish the February 25, 2021 update. The PDF has been included in the VIIT update archive.
This is the release for March 5, 2021:
Auburn on 17 December 2020
The Valley Independent Investigative team (VIIT) is serving as the independent investigative team for this incident. VIIT is a multi-agency team made up of investigators from seven south King County Police Departments (Auburn, Des Moines, Federal Way, Kent, Renton, Port of Seattle, and Tukwila). With Auburn PD as the involved agency, their staff have been excluded from this VIIT investigation.
There have been no updates to this investigation in the past week, Investigators are still waiting to receive the final autopsy report from the Medical Examiner’s office.
Public notifications will be released weekly until the conclusion of the investigation. Media Inquiries regarding the Independent Investigation may be forwarded to Commander Todd Rossi of the Tukwila Police Department at (206) 391-8236.
As per Chapter 139-12 WAC, please note that information regarding any officer involved shooting cannot be released by an independent investigation team without first notifying the non-law enforcement community representative assigned to the investigation and the family liaison of the involved subject. VIIT will endeavor to incorporate questions received from the media into subsequent press releases.
{A list of the VIIT investigators and agencies for this incident is available upon request.} _______________________________________________________________________________
Valley Independent Investigative Team
Auburn – Des Moines – Federal Way – Kent – Port of Seattle – Renton – Tukwila