Sources: Chief Diaz asked to stay away from officer's funeral

BY Brandi Kruse  on January 9, 2012 @ 3:51 pm (Updated: 9:09 am - 1/10/12 )

richardrickfnelson.jpg
According to his obituary, Nelson served six years in the U.S. Navy before being honorably discharged. He began work as a Seattle Police officer in 1990. (Photo courtesy Flintofts Funeral Home) | Zoom
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When Seattle Police Chief John Diaz announced the suicide of Officer Richard F. Nelson last week, he did so with a heavy heart. And although he had spent the day at Nelson's bedside, he has been told he is not welcome at his funeral.

Nelson, a 21-year veteran of SPD, killed himself on Jan. 5 after his fellow officers investigated and arrested him for possession of crack cocaine. Now, police sources confirm to 97.3 KIRO FM that Nelson's wife has requested that any member of the department's command staff who knew about the investigation stay away from his memorial service.

Sources say, however, that Nelson had tremendous respect for at least one person on the command staff who may be allowed to attend. The two worked together at one time in the city's South Precinct. KIRO FM has decided not to release that name until Nelson's wife comes to a decision.

Nelson will be laid to rest Thursday in Kent after a funeral mass at St. Louise Catholic Church in Bellevue. According to his obituary, Nelson served six years in the U.S. Navy before being honorably discharged. He began work as a Seattle police officer in 1990.

"As a mounted and bicycle officer, Rick devoted his entire 21 year career to making the Rainier Valley area safer for the community," read his obituary. "Rick also served as a Field Training Officer, training and mentoring numerous young officers on the realities of serving in South Seattle."

Nelson was described as an avid outdoorsman whose "passion, jokes, great cooking, and friendship will be missed by many on the force." He is survived by his wife and two teenage daughters.

Assigned to the South Precinct, Nelson had been the subject of an SPD investigation for his handling of narcotics evidence. After an undercover sting carried out by the department's command staff, Nelson was arrested for cocaine possession and booked into the King County Jail early in the morning on Jan. 5.

After his release, Nelson was found with a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the John Wayne Pioneer Trail near North Bend. He later died at Harborview Medical Center.

Brandi Kruse, KIRO Radio Reporter
Brandi Kruse is a reporter for KIRO Radio who is as spontaneous and adventurous in her free time as she is on the job. Brandi arrived at KIRO Radio in March 2011 and has already collected three regional Edward R. Murrow awards for her reporting.
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Comments (47)


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  • darthclown wrote...
    Detail how he stole drugs?
    January 9, 2012 4:40 pm
    Because his career means nothing, he shat it all away.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BlueHawk wrote...
    RIP
    January 9, 2012 5:30 pm
    None of us are without sin. Thank you for the good that you did..
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • BikeNazi wrote...
    He was a crackhead. Don't forget that he was a crackhead.
    January 9, 2012 6:05 pm
    And he stole drugs. And then he killed himself. But he was a crackhead cop. And he killed himself. Shot himself in the head. Never forget.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • RoPo wrote...
    Rest in Peace
    January 9, 2012 7:00 pm
    He made a terrible mistake somewhere along the line. Whatever possessed him to even try the drugs will forever be a mystery. However the way it was handled by the SPD was horrible. He should have been drug tested, fired and offered help not publicly humiliated and made an example of. He was a good man who screwed up and he paid a really high price as did his wife and kids. His life and career did mean something. Unfortunately he lived and worked in a heartless thankless city of Hallidays.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • HPD 5-0 wrote...
    RIP officer
    January 9, 2012 7:09 pm
    ...
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • Dan1 wrote...
    This man is guilty of
    January 9, 2012 8:01 pm
    Punking out on his family, this cop took the easy way out. His family will be forever tormented by this.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • soo purletiv wrote...
    RIP.... Whatever that means......
    January 9, 2012 11:13 pm
    I read about a glowing career involving a sworn officer of the law who stated that he would abide by the law even if it offended him and or affected any personal endeavor of his/hers.

    Yet I wonder.... Is there another side to HiStory?

    The police are only human. I get that, without hesitation. They bleed, they laugh, they cry, they fear, they die..... just like the rest of us!

    But unlike the rest of us, or at least most of the rest of us, they have a greater power and authority that they are ENTRUSTED with.

    As such, they are, or at least should be, held to a higher standard.

    We can all look at this account as a tragedy, and we should. Anyone gloating or in some way celebrating over this should be ashamed.

    Not that some here who have been badly abused by 'some' cop(s) in their life (including myself) don't feel a bit like justice was served (not including myself). But, reading Nelson's bio, some sympathy may be warranted.

    However, I wonder if there is a 'flip' side. A side of Nelson that others have experienced where they were not so kindly treated!

    Not to say there is.

    And I am not talking about the random encounter 'now and then' that all cops are a part of. I am talking about the Shandy Cobane type of encounter............

    Regardless, all cops, no matter how human they may be, should be held to a higher standard. After all, isn't that why we have the police in the first place? To protect us from the 'bad guys'?

    If the cops ARE THE BAD GUYS then who do us commoners run to in times of peril?

    If we can't put our full trust in those that protect, with power and authority to do so, then who do we trust?

    Too many people are willing to water down accountability as well as responsibility when it comes to public officials and sworn officers.

    Many times those same individuals are more than willing to hold others who are of a different political or religious persuasion to a lower or a more justifiable standard.

    I guess consistency and integrity are so archaic in our time............

    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    RIP . . . .
    January 10, 2012 4:28 am
    http://youtu.be/fdDhV45lYHU
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • CH wrote...
    Chief Diaz loved by troopers . . . .
    January 10, 2012 5:29 am
    nice.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • murr wrote...
    Ohhh the REAL people
    January 10, 2012 5:46 am
    Either time and or money will shed the mask people wear, and its playing out right now in front of us all.
    { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }
  • { "Thumbs Up":"1","Thumbs Down":"-1" }