SEATTLE — Adrian Diaz is out as Seattle police chief and has been reassigned to a new role, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced during a press conference Wednesday.
Harrell began his press conference by announcing that Diaz would be reassigned to work on "special projects."
“The city should have the ultimate faith in our police department,” Harrell said. "This is how you get better. How? You evaluate yourself. You hire people to give you feedback whether you want it or not...you put your own egos to the side and you say, 'We can be better.'”
Sue Rahr, the former sheriff of King County, was announced as the interim chief of Seattle police. Harrell touted Rahr as an expert on "modern policing" and recruiting.
Harrell said Rahr has told him she will not be a candidate for the role of permanent police chief. Harrell and the department will be conducting a national search to fill that position. Rahr will work to identify a group of final candidates for the position, then a public committee will review them. Finally, Harrell will provide an examination and make a hire.
Diaz, 48, was sworn in as police chief in January 2023 and spent more than two decades with the Seattle Police Department (SPD). He worked in patrol, the mountain bike unit and the anti-crime team before joining the investigations bureau. He also served as assistant chief of the Collaborative Policing Bureau before he was promoted to deputy chief.
Diaz served as interim chief beginning in 2020, taking on the role after former police chief Carmen Best stepped down in August 2020. Best’s resignation came after a tumultuous summer of racial justice protests, culminating in the Seattle City Council voting to cut police department spending.
In recent months, he’s been at the forefront of a department hit with multiple lawsuits, some directed at Diaz himself.
Harrell said he appointed an independent investigator after the allegations came to light. In conversations with Diaz, Harrell said he suggested "we put the needs of the city first."
"He has agreed to step aside and work on special projects and realize the kind of culture change we want could perhaps be better served with him stepping aside," Harrell said. "We also want to make sure that anyone that has any complaints within the department does not have a threat of retaliation or any blowback so to speak while the investigation occurs."
The most recent lawsuit was filed by a longtime SPD employee who has served as assistant chief since 2017 but was demoted to the rank of captain in early 2023 after reporting concerns about racial discrimination.
Several other high-profile SPD employees came forward with their claims of sexism, harassment and discrimination against Diaz and other top brass.
Multiple sources inside the police department told KING 5 on Wednesday that Deputy Chief Eric Barden had cleaned out his desk as part of the SPD leadership shake up. When asked about it during yesterday’s press conference, the mayor did not answer. In an interview Thursday, Natalie Swaby asked Harrell to clarify whether Barden was still deputy chief.
"I believe he is the chief. I know, today, interim Chief Rahr is meeting with my Deputy Mayor Tim Burgess discussing that situation. And, I don’t know more about that so, I think today, which is Thursday, he is still on regular duty," said Harrell. "There is discussions about him possibly being on administrative leave, but I don’t know where we are on those discussions, nor will I make those decisions. That’s a decision made up to the chief.”
Late Thursday afternoon, KING confirmed Barden spent the day with the interim chief and continues to serve as deputy chief, as he has for the past year. KING expects to hear from Rahr about her plans for the command staff soon.
Tyrone Davis, assistant chief of special operations, had been placed on leave after a complaint was filed to the Office of Police Accountability, but returned to duty a week later on May 31.
Harrell said he is working with Rahr on whether there will be further staff changes atop the department.
Diaz' departure comes at a time when the SPD is at its lowest staffing level in 30 years, having lost more than 700 officers in the past five years. As of March, the department had 913 actively working police officers.
In a statement, the Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG), thanked Diaz for his service.
"The rank of file members of SPOG are looking forward to working with Interim Chief Sue Rahr to build back our agency’s staffing whilst adhering to Mayor Harrell’s “One Seattle” vision," SPOG said.
Editor's note: KING 5 has updated the story to clarify that Eric Barden remains in his deputy chief role as of Thursday afternoon.