Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson did not address the media or public Thursday to clarify reports that she had requested the resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes. Instead, her office released a statement Thursday evening.
Leading up to the statement, members of the Seattle City Council told KIRO 7 they were frustrated with how the city has managed the aftermath of a mass shooting and prepared for the Seafair festival this weekend.
Reports of the chief’s dismissal began circulating Wednesday, just days after Wilson appeared alongside Barnes to address the mass shooting in Seattle Center Sunday.
Council members told KIRO 7 the Mayor’s office provided conflicting information throughout Thursday, leaving the legislative body without official confirmation of the status of the city’s top law enforcement official.
The uncertainty comes during one of the busiest summer weekends on the city’s calendar. While the search for a suspect in Sunday’s shooting continues, some council members questioned whether a change in police leadership was appropriate given the current public safety challenges.
Several council members met with the media and gathered at City Hall Thursday to express dissatisfaction with the lack of transparency from the Mayor’s office.
Maritza Rivera, a Seattle City Council member, said the public deserves immediate answers. “It’s completely unacceptable for the mayor of Seattle not to give information, confirmation either way whether she intends to keep Chief Barnes,” Rivera said. “We heard rumors yesterday; we do not have confirmation; the public does not have confirmation. We need to know.”
Council Member Rob Saka emphasized the Mayor’s office failed to coordinate with the nine-member council on a decision of this magnitude. “A decision of this significance and magnitude, there’s only nine of us! This ain’t Congress where there’s 535 members to manage,” Saka said.
He said the Mayor needs to answer for her actions, “if this decision stands, the mayor must also own everything that follows.”
“It is my understanding our crime numbers have decreased since the Chief has been here, so I don’t know the reason or the rationale why she would fire him,” Rivera said. Saka added he believes “this decision raises serious questions about the future of public safety leadership.”
The council remains divided over how to proceed, with some members prioritizing the stability of the entire police force.
Council Member Eddie Lin said public safety progress is a collective effort: “It’s not just one person makes progress; it’s the entire Police Department, it’s the entire city working together,” Lin said.
Saka suggested that while someone should be held responsible for communication failures following Sunday’s mass shooting, he was unsure if the chief should be the one to depart. “To the extent heads needed to roll for the bungling of misinformation on Sunday? I don’t disagree with the notion,” Saka said.
Saka told KIRO 7 he is officially calling on Wilson to reconsider her decision, saying the burden is now on the Mayor to explain why removing a chief who has seen measurable improvements is in the city’s best interest.
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