Mayor Katie Wilson has not explained why she forced out Police Chief Shon Barnes six weeks ago.

Councilmember Bob Kettle, who chairs the Public Safety Committee and represents District 7, on Tuesday, Sept. 8, released a formal statement invoking the Seattle City Charter to demand Wilson file a written explanation with the council. Kettle set an Aug. 28 deadline in a letter to the mayor. The Mayor's Office has not responded in writing or verbally, according to Kettle's statement.

The charter provision at issue is Article VI, Section 2, which states the mayor "may remove the Chief of Police upon filing a statement of his or her reasons for so doing with the City Council." Kettle argued Wilson triggered that obligation when she told reporters at a July 31 press conference, "I asked him to resign," according to MyNorthwest.

Kettle noted the Aug. 28 deadline had passed. "Nearly a month after the forced resignation of Police Chief Shon Barnes, the Council has not received a response … to my letter to the mayor asking for a written explanation on the reasoning for his removal," he said in the statement.

The Mayor's Office has not publicly responded to the charter demand. No statement from Wilson's office appears in public records as of Tuesday, Sept. 8.

What happened

Wilson announced Barnes's departure on the afternoon of Thursday, July 30.

The announcement came four days after a mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle festival at Seattle Center that killed two people and injured several others, including a 2-year-old boy. One suspect also died in the exchange, one has been arrested and a third remained at large as of Kettle's statement.

Barnes received a $700,000 settlement, roughly two years' salary, as part of his agreement to step down, PubliCola reported on July 31.

Deputy Chief Andre Sayles, who joined SPD in 2025 and previously served as police chief in Beloit, Wisconsin, was named interim chief the same day.

Barnes says he got no explanation

Barnes himself said he was never told why. In an Aug. 31 interview with KOMO News, the former chief said Wilson told him on three separate occasions she planned to keep him. He said he received no explanation beyond the request itself.

Kettle disclosed that the Mayor's Office called him on Wednesday, July 29, the day before the announcement, to discuss the decision and the interim chief selection.

He called the removal "not a deliberative process but rather a hasty one" and said the separation agreement "cannot be used to avoid the mayor's duty and obligations under the City Charter."

Council President Joy Hollingsworth called Wilson's decision "reckless" on July 30, according to MyNorthwest. Multiple councilmembers, including Rob Saka, Debora Juarez, Maritza Rivera and Alexis Mercedes Rinck, raised questions that day.

SPD has cycled through four police chiefs in roughly two and a half years, according to a joint council statement issued July 30.

What comes next

The Public Safety Committee held its first briefing on the shooting and the Barnes separation on Aug. 11. A follow-up hearing is tentatively scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 22. Kettle has said SPD Detective Brian Pritchard, who told reporters the night of the shooting that information was held up for "dignitaries" and later emailed superiors saying the city's account was "not accurate," needs to be present at that hearing.

As we reported Sept. 8, SPD also plans to release internal messages from the night of the shooting.

Members of the public can watch the Sept. 22 hearing live on the Seattle Channel.