Seattle’s police chief resigned Thursday, days after there were questions about the release of information following a shooting at a food festival that left three dead, including two bystanders.Mayor Katie B.Wilson accepted a letter resignation from Police Chief Shon Barnes, she said in a statement released by the police department.
The statement does not say why Barnes resigned.Barnes, who was appointed to head the department in 2024 by the previous mayor, was questioned along with Wilson about initial reports that two suspected shooters had been arrested after Sunday’s violence at the Bite of Seattle event, when only one had been arrested.“We understand that people are angry.You should be.
Everyone should be angry,” Barnes said at a Monday news conference.There were also questions about a five-hour delay in the official release of more information in the wake of Sunday’s shooting, which occurred around 6 p.m.
“We want to get out information as early and as often as possible.It is unfortunate that sometimes in any situation, early information is sometimes incorrect,” Barnes said then.
He said that the department would look at how to do better in the future.Deputy Chief Andre Sayles was named interim police chief, the statement about the resignation said.Wilson said in Thursday’s statement that “Chief Barnes has served this department and this city with dedication, and I am grateful for his service.”Barnes said, “It has been an honor to serve the Seattle Police Department and this city.”The president of Seattle’s City Council, Joy Hollingsworth, and city council members Dan Strauss, Debora Juarez and Bob Kettle criticized the move as rash.“Having cycled through four police chiefs in just two and a half years, our priority must be stability, not further disruption,” they said in a joint statement.
“The people of Seattle deserve reliable leadership, especially as we close out a busy summer of public events.”Barnes was the second ...