2013 fatal police shooting referred to Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office for new investigation
Jul 21, 2025, 5:30 PM
Leonard Thomas. (Courtesy Thomas family, via 成人X站-7)
(Courtesy Thomas family, via 成人X站-7)
More than a decade after Leonard Thomas 鈥� an unarmed Black man 鈥� was shot and killed by Lakewood police, the case has been referred to the Pierce County Prosecutor鈥檚 Office for a new investigation.
The Washington State Office of Independent Investigations (OII) 聽that a neutral third party, a retired King County Superior Court judge, recommended reopening the case. The decision stems in part from evidence revealed during a civil trial, where a jury found officers liable for wrongful death. The family was awarded.
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Leonard Thomas shot in Pierce County in 2013
Thomas was shot in May 2013 during a SWAT standoff at his home in Fife. Police used explosives to enter the house and fired when Thomas reached for his son. Officers said they believed Thomas was armed and choking the boy. However, in a 2017 interview with , Thomas鈥� son disputed that account.
鈥淚 think he was trying to hug me,鈥� the boy said.
There were no criminal charges filed after the initial investigation.
Thomas鈥� mother, Annalesa Thomas, had requested OII open a new investigation into their son鈥檚 death through OII鈥檚 Prior Investigation Review Program.
His father, Fred Thomas, is a co-chair of the OII Advisory Board, which prompted the agency to seek an outside review to avoid any conflict of interest.
鈥淎voiding conflicts of interest, or even the appearance of a conflict of interest, is critical to ensuring that all parties can trust our work to be fair and unbiased,鈥� OII Director Roger Rogoff said. 鈥淯nder the circumstances, OII had a conflict of interest that prevented it from making a decision free from actual or apparent bias, and therefore referring this matter to a neutral third party was the right choice.鈥�
The Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney鈥檚 Office confirmed it has received the referral and will begin its review.
鈥淥ur office has received a referral from OII regarding the Thomas incident from 2013,鈥� a spokesperson for the office told 成人X站 Newsradio via email. 鈥淭his is the first re-opened case by OII to be referred to us. Like any officer-involved fatal incident referral, the Prosecuting Attorney and experienced DPAs will be reviewing the case, requesting any follow-up that may be needed, and then making a charging decision after a full review.鈥�
成人X站 Newsradio has also reached out to the Lakewood Police Department for comment.
Frank Lenzi is the News Director for 成人X站 Newsradio. Read more of his stories here.
