Seattle mayor defends ousting police chief after festival shootout
Wilson said communication failures after the festival shooting led her to ask Barnes to resign, and the city is reviewing police procedures.
- On Friday, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson defended removing Police Chief Shon Barnes as "the right decision at the right time," citing communication failures following a fatal shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival last weekend.
- Wilson attributed the leadership change to a five-hour delay between a 6:30 p.m. social media alert and an 11 p.m. press conference on Sunday, plus inaccurate information claiming two suspects were arrested when only a 15-year-old was in custody.
- Downtown Seattle Association CEO Jon Scholes credited Barnes with reducing downtown crime, warning it is "imperative" to maintain progress, while City Council Chairman Bob Kettle noted Seattle has cycled through four police chiefs in two and a half years.
- Deputy Chief Andre Sayles was named interim chief and committed to boosting festival staffing for the remainder of summer, while Wilson announced a national search for a permanent replacement.
- Investigators continue searching for additional suspects in the gang-related shooting, as City Council President Joy Hollingsworth called the timing of the resignation "reckless" given the active investigation remains ongoing.
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Bizpac Review
ussanews.comSeattle’s black police chief forced out over shooting chaos attributed to mayor
“Woke” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has forced out her city’s black police chief after blaming him for a shooting critics say is her fault. Last Sunday, gunfire […]
Seattle's black police chief forced out over shooting chaos attributed to mayor · American Wire News
“Woke” Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson has forced out her city’s black police chief after blaming him for a shooting critics say is her fault. Last Sunday, gunfire erupted outside the Seattle Center Armory during the Bite of Seattle festival. Three people were killed and four hospitalized. At the time of the shooting, then-Police Chief Shon Barnes was in Dallas attending the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives’ annual conferenc…
The Independent
The Independent (US)Seattle mayor says ousting police chief after festival shooting was ‘right decision’
The leadership shake-up comes as police continue searching for suspects in a fatal gang-related shooting at a food festival near the Space Needle last weekend
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