Longtime Walla Walla police veteran Randy Allessio dies at 72
By Griffin Beach on Wednesday, June 3rd, 2026 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
WALLA WALLA – The Walla Walla community is mourning the loss of a longstanding public servant following the death of 39-year law enforcement veteran Randy Allessio, who died May 24 at age 72.
Allessio began his career as a dispatcher with the Walla Walla Police Department in 1972 before becoming a police officer a year later. He was promoted to patrol sergeant in 1980 and was assigned to supervise the Special Teams Unit in 2003, a position he held until his retirement in 2011.
In 1989, Allessio became a charter member and the first team leader of the department’s Emergency Service Unit. He also supervised the code enforcement officers for several years.
The department described Allessio as a strong, passionate leader who was known to always have his colleagues’ backs.
“He was, simply put, a legend and one of the last of an era,” the department said in a statement on its Facebook page. “He was known to be firm but fair and had a huge heart with a twinkle in his eye.”
Photo of Allessio from Walla Walla Police
