Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson is facing criticism from Shon Barnes, the city's former police chief whom she fired. Barnes is defending his frequent travel to Chicago and attendance at law enforcement conferences, asserting these trips did not distract him from his duties, particularly in the wake of a fatal shooting at a Seattle food festival that left three dead and four injured.
Barnes, 55, stated that he was at a conference of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives on July 26 when the shooting occurred. He told The Seattle Times that he was notified of the incident within minutes and immediately followed protocol. He informed Mayor Wilson's office, which he referred to as his "boss Alison Holcomb," and began managing the situation remotely. Barnes communicated with Seattle's FBI Office and Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis, who assumed command in his absence. He also participated in a Zoom briefing with his command staff before flying to Seattle the following morning.
Barnes suggested that Mayor Wilson's decision to terminate his position was influenced by her desire to appoint her own police chief, a move he characterized as common when a new mayor takes office. He noted that Seattle has experienced high turnover in the police chief position, with no chief serving more than two years in nearly two decades. Barnes himself served for just over a year.
According to Barnes, his first meeting with Mayor Wilson felt more like an interview than an opportunity to build rapport, and he sensed tension regarding issues like the Seattle Police Department's real-time crime center. He also mentioned that due to the perceived uncertainty of his position following Wilson's election, he chose not to relocate his family from Chicago to Seattle.
Criticism of Barnes intensified after reports surfaced that he was not in Seattle to direct officers following the tragedy. His department faced scrutiny for failing to promptly warn residents about a second armed suspect and for a delay of over five hours in holding the first press conference. The city also reportedly did not activate its emergency notification system, AlertSeattle, in the immediate aftermath of the shooting. Barnes was dismissed three days after the incident.
Wilson's decision to fire Barnes led to protests organized by several Seattle community groups, including the NAACP and the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle. Barnes maintained that had he been in Seattle, the primary difference would have been his direct involvement in briefing the media and public. He stated that there was a five-hour delay in public briefings, and the mayor's initial statement contained inaccurate information. During the first press conference, Barnes declined to label the shooters as 'gangs,' instead referring to 'small groups that appear to be at odds with each other.' He was later filmed in a public confrontation with a reporter who questioned his absence from the city, insisting he was working diligently for Seattle.