Washington State

Office of the Attorney General

Attorney General

Bob Ferguson

AGO 1951 NO. 459 >

1. The city police of a second class city have the power to arrest and hold felons for crimes occurring within a city.  2. The county coroner has sole jurisdiction over dead bodies, where there are reasonable grounds to believe that death has been caused by unlawful means at the hands of another; has the power to summon a coroner's jury and to issue warrants for the arrest of persons determined by said jury to be responsible for said death.  3. Where reasonable grounds exist to believe a person has feloniously caused the death of another the sheriff has the power to arrest and hold said person pursuant to his statutory duties as conservator of the peace of the county.