Seattle's police chief resigned Thursday amid criticism that the city was slow to release key information about a fatal shootout at a food festival last weekend. Mayor Katie Wilson's announcement followed hours of speculation about whether Police Chief Shon Barnes would step down, as some of his supporters said he had rebuffed Wilson's request to resign.
Wilson said she was appointing Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, a law enforcement veteran with more than two decades of experience, as interim chief. Barnes told the Seattle Times earlier Thursday that whether he remained as chief was "up to the mayor." He said he was off for the day and spending time with family.
Slow Communication After Deadly Shooting
Barnes was out of town at a law enforcement conference when gunfire erupted last weekend at the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers. Three people, including one suspect, were killed, and four people were wounded. One of the injured was a 2-year-old boy.
Dozens of officers were at the event, and at least one saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into a crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender, according to court documents. Police are still searching for at least one other person.
While Wilson credited the quick police response with potentially saving lives, she acknowledged that the city was slow to communicate in the aftermath. After an initial social media post announcing the shooting, it took nearly five hours for police to provide any additional information to the public, including whether there was any ongoing threat. The city also failed to send out any notifications through its emergency alert system. In the meantime, Wilson announced that two people had been taken into custody, a statement she later retracted.
Assistant Seattle Police Chief Tyrone Davis finally provided an update around 11 p.m. Sunday during a news conference that was also attended by the mayor, Gov. Bob Ferguson and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
Community Support and Criticism
Barnes was the second Black police chief in Seattle. Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, rallied to try to save his job Thursday. In an open letter to the mayor's office, they credited him with improving relations between the department and the community, helping reduce gun violence and strengthening the department's operations.
"Chief Barnes should not be made a scapegoat for the complex challenges of public safety," the letter said. At least six City Council members issued statements supporting Barnes. A statement signed by four of them pointed out that the city has had four chiefs in less than three years. "Our priority must be stability, not further disruption," it said.
Barnes was appointed by Seattle's previous mayor, Bruce Harrell, in December 2024 after serving as chief of the Madison, Wisconsin, police department. When Wilson — a democratic socialist who once supported defunding police — won the mayor's race last year, she kept Barnes on as chief. That was a signal to the city's business establishment and community groups that she did not intend to take a radically different approach to public safety.
"Seattle had been on a positive course on public safety with police hiring trending up and crime trending down," Jon Scholes, president of the Downtown Seattle Association, said in an emailed statement. "It's imperative the next chief of police is able to maintain progress that's been made and instill confidence in our community."
Barnes faced some criticism for spending time in Chicago, where his family lives. Sgt. Patrick Michaud, a department spokesperson, said Thursday that Barnes has made four trips to Chicago this year and spent in total about 18 days traveling there. The resignation comes as Seattle heads into another big festival weekend.
