Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson asked Police Chief Shon Barnes to resign this week, and Barnes declined. The request came after criticism of how the department handled communication following a fatal shooting at the Bite of Seattle, an annual food festival held near the Space Needle.
The shooting took place last weekend. Three people, including one suspect, were killed, and four were wounded. One of the injured was a 2-year-old boy. Dozens of officers were at the event. At least one officer saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into the crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender, according to court documents. Police are still searching for at least one other person.
Sheley Secrest, president of the Washington state NAACP, said Wilson asked Barnes to resign but he refused. Secrest was not present for the conversation but learned of it Wednesday from Barnes' chief of staff. Wilson's office has not responded to requests for comment.
Barnes told The Seattle Times on Thursday that whether he stays on is "up to the mayor." He said he was spending the day with family.
Barnes was out of town at a law enforcement conference when the shooting happened. After an initial social media post announcing the shooting, it took nearly five hours for police to provide any additional update to the public, including whether there was an ongoing threat. In the meantime, Wilson announced two people had been taken into custody, a statement she later retracted. Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis gave an update around 11 p.m. Sunday during a news conference also attended by Wilson, Gov. Bob Ferguson, and U.S. Rep. Pramila Jayapal.
Several Black community organizations, including the Seattle NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, pushed back Thursday against any move to remove Barnes. In an open letter to the mayor's office, the groups credited Barnes with improving community relations, reducing gun violence, and strengthening department operations.
"This is the wrong decision at the wrong time and would disrupt Seattle's progress in public safety," the letter said. "The tragic fatal shooting at the Bite of Seattle was heartbreaking for our city, but Chief Barnes should not be made a scapegoat for the complex challenges of public safety."
Barnes is the second Black police chief in Seattle's history. As of Thursday, no final decision had been announced by the mayor's office.
