Seattle police chief resigns days after deadly shooting
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson accepted the resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes on Thursday and appointed Deputy Chief Andre Sayles to lead the department on
Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson accepted the resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes on Thursday and appointed Deputy Chief Andre Sayles to lead the department on an interim basis. This comes days after a deadly mass shooting during the Bite of Seattle festival at Seattle Center. On Sunday night, July 26, the Seattle Police Department and city officials faced criticism after waiting several hours to hold a news conference about the Bite of Seattle shooting.
Seattle police Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis finally provided an update at a Sunday evening briefing, which Chief Shon Barnes did not attend. On Monday morning, Barnes was present at a second Bite of Seattle investigation news conference with Mayor Katie Wilson. He told the media that he was out of town Sunday, attending the Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference, hosted in Dallas. After Monday morning’s press conference, video captured a confrontational interaction between Barnes and a reporter.
According to sources, Barnes began texting individuals Wednesday night discussing his dismissal. Barnes had been scheduled to conduct 1-on-1 interviews with Seattle media Wednesday afternoon, but those interviews were abruptly canceled. At 6:30 p.m., he appeared at a silent vigil for victims of the Bite of Seattle shooting. He left abruptly, and sources tell FOX 13 he had a meeting with the mayor after the vigil, which is when he was asked to resign.
On Thursday afternoon, Wilson's office released a statement that she accepted the resignation of Barnes and appointed Sayles as interim chief. Subscribe to LiveNOW from FOX! Where to watch LiveNOW from FO Raw and unfiltered. Watch a non-stop stream of breaking news, live events and stories across the nation. Limited commentary. No opinion. Experience LiveNOW from FOX. Live news streaming channel when and where you need it.
The BriefWire