Washington legal term
Law enforcement officer in Washington Criminal Law
Current through 2026 Washington legislative session
In Washington criminal law, “Law enforcement officer” is a term defined by statute rather than by its everyday meaning. Its statutory definition — quoted verbatim below — controls how the term is applied throughout the Washington criminal code.
What does “Law enforcement officer” mean in Washington criminal law?
"Law enforcement officer" includes police officers, the attorney general and the attorney general's deputies, sheriffs and their regular deputies, corrections officers, tribal law enforcement officers, park rangers, state fire marshals, municipal fire marshals, sworn members of the city fire departments, county and district firefighters, and agents of the department of fish and wildlife. (RCW 10.108.020)
Statutes defining or using this term
Charges using this term
- Assault in the third degree
- Criminal conspiracy
- Custodial sexual misconduct in the first degree
- Custodial sexual misconduct in the second degree
- Disarming a law enforcement or corrections officer
- Driver under twenty-one consuming alcohol or cannabis
- Duty in case of personal injury or death or damage to attended vehicle or other property
- Failure to obey officer
- Harming a police dog, accelerant detection dog, or police horse
- Reports of major repairs, etc
- Stalking
- Unlawful discharge of a laser in the first degree
Related terms in the same statutes
This reference is informational and is not legal advice.