Seattle police chief resigns under pressure from mayor over response to
festival shooting
[July 31, 2026]
By GENE JOHNSON and MARTHA BELLISLE
SEATTLE (AP) — 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.
In a written statement, the mayor said she was grateful for Barnes'
service. The statement included comments in which Barnes called it an
honor to have served the city.
“I hope this transition gives the city and this department the
opportunity to return full focus to what matters most, addressing youth
gun violence and preventing more tragedies,” Barnes said.
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.
“What I did not fully understand in that moment was how little
information had reached the public or the press since the incident began
at 6 p.m.,” Wilson said in a video statement Thursday. “Had I known
that, I would have pushed for an immediate briefing, rather than waiting
for a press conference to be organized.”
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Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson, center, and Seattle Police Chief Shon
Barnes, left, attend the vigil for victims the day after a shooting
at Seattle Center during the Bite of Seattle food festival, Monday,
July 27, 2026, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Lindsey Wasson)
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. Seafair Weekend Festival 2026 — a boating event, air show
and festival — starts Friday.
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