Seattle Police Chief Sean Barnes has been asked to resign from his position by Mayor Katie Wilson, according to Fox 13, which said it confirmed the development through five different sources. The reported removal of the city's top law enforcement official marks a dramatic turn after days of intense scrutiny over how Seattle handled a deadly shooting.
According to those sources, Barnes began texting several people on Wednesday evening discussing his dismissal. He had been scheduled to conduct one-on-one interviews with Seattle media, but those interviews were abruptly canceled, an early sign that something had shifted at the top of the department.
Fox 13 captured Barnes at the silent vigil held for the victims of the Bite of Seattle shooting at Seattle Center around 6:30 that evening. He placed flowers at the scene before leaving abruptly, and sources told the station that he had a meeting with the mayor after the vigil, shortly before word of his departure began to spread.
The apparent shake-up follows sharp criticism of the city's response to Sunday night's shooting. Seattle police and city officials faced questions after waiting roughly five hours before holding a news conference to update the public on the violence at the festival, a delay that became a controversy in its own right.
When officials finally provided that first update, Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis was in attendance, but Chief Barnes did not appear. Barnes said he had been out of town on Sunday, attending the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives conference hosted in Dallas, and was not present as the initial response unfolded.
Barnes did take part in a second news conference on the shooting investigation on Monday morning alongside Mayor Wilson. After that briefing, video of a tense confrontation involving the chief and a reporter drew attention, adding to the pressure surrounding his handling of the case and his public appearances.
The reported request for Barnes to step down caps a turbulent stretch for the department as the investigation into the Bite of Seattle shooting continues. With leadership now in question, attention is likely to turn to who will guide the force through the ongoing inquiry and the security preparations for upcoming events at the Seattle Center.