The Washington state Office of Independent Investigations (OII) has identified the Lewis County sheriff’s deputies who fatally shot a 53-year-old man near Onalaska on March 16.
Their names are Tyson Brown, 40, and Jared Kasinger, 38.
Brown, a patrol deputy, has been with the sheriff’s department for 15 years, according to OII. Kasinger, a K9 deputy, has been with the department for 12 years, according to OII.
Kenny Roger Risley died in Tacoma after being airlifted following the shooting.
The Pierce County Medical Examiner’s Office currently lists both the cause and manner of death as pending. The postmortem examination report is listed as being in progress.
OII has yet to release any specific information about the shooting itself, such as how many rounds were fired, how many times the victim was struck, or which deputy fired first.
The medical examiner’s case details note that the incident occurred at 11:57 a.m. March 16 in a public space in a ZIP code belonging to the area of Cinebar.
That evening, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office (LCSO) issued a news release, indicating that deputies had first received a report of a “male subject in the area of Cinebar who was in distress.”
“Deputies located the subject in his vehicle and attempted to communicate with him,” the release stated. “The subject eventually exited his vehicle and approached the deputies, armed with a firearm.”
According to the release, Risley did not comply with the deputies’ commands, which prompted the use of less-lethal bean bag rounds “in an attempt to stop the subject.”
It is unclear what exactly happened before additional rounds were fired.
“Two deputies fired at the subject with their patrol rifles,” the release stated. “The subject was airlifted but was later pronounced deceased.”
The sheriff’s office noted in its release that the information provided was preliminary and that the investigation — which had been turned over to OII — was ongoing.
“Once the OII investigation is complete, the case will be forwarded to the designated local Prosecutor’s Office for review,” the release stated.
State law requires that OII conduct an independent investigation into officer-involved shootings. The agency said it was notified of the incident at 12:30 p.m. March 16.
“The first OII investigators arrived at about 2:30 p.m.,” OII stated in a news release. “More than a dozen OII investigators participated in the response.”
OII noted that sheriff’s deputies — along with officers from other law enforcement agencies — assisted in life-saving measures on Risley before he was transported to the hospital.
According to the release, an OII family liaison will keep Risley’s family “informed regarding the status of the investigation.”
Brown recently received a Lewis County Employee Spotlight award for his “rapid response, physical readiness, and decisive actions” that prevented the death of an unconscious man in Onalaska in August 2025.
According to the award’s details, Brown arrived within minutes to the residence after a 911 caller had “reported that she had discovered her husband hanging.”
Brown reportedly moved the man to a different location and began CPR.
“Due to his immediate and sustained efforts, the patient was airlifted to a medical facility and ultimately survived,” the award’s details state.
Kasinger became a K9 handler with LCSO in 2024, according to previous Chronicle reporting.
“He just became employee of the year … and he’s a real go-getter out there. He works hard, does some great work out there. So we know what we’re getting with him,” Field Operations Chief Rick Van Wyck said of Kasinger at the time.
OII has asked anyone with information about last week’s shooting to call the OII Tipline at 564-263-0715. Information provided is subject to public disclosure, as required by state law.
