Seattle Mayor Wilson defends asking police chief to resign

Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes resigned Thursday. He and Mayor Katie Wilson were criticized for a long delay in getting information to the public following a fatal shooting.

By: Freddy Monares, Gary Davis, Nate Sanford, Emil Moffatt, Jennifer Wing

Outlets: KNKX

Published: July 31, 2026

Words: 1,214

Last Updated: 2 days, 18 hours ago

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Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes resigned Thursday following questions about how often he was out of town. Both he and Mayor Katie Wilson faced heavy criticism for the slow release of information following a fatal shooting at Seattle Center on Sunday.

Wilson has appointed Deputy Chief Andre Sayles as interim police chief.

"I hope this transition gives the city and this department the opportunity to return full focus to what matters most, addressing youth gun violence …

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