‘Protection of these juveniles is disastrous to the safety of the state’: SPOG president sounds alarm on youth crime after Bite of Seattle shooting

Frustration is mounting across Seattle after a gang-related mass shooting killed three people — two bystanders and a suspect — during the annual Bite of Seattle food festival. It took nearly five hours for the Seattle Police Department (SPD) to hold its first briefing, and 17 hours for the city to confirm there was a second shooter.

KIRO host John Curley brought on Seattle Police Officers Guild (SPOG) President Kent Loux to discuss the fallout of the shooting.

“I’m going to give you, you ready, a 1-5 scale on these topics. Five being ‘Oh my God,'” Curley said. “Barnes getting mad at the reporter about not being home.”

Immediately after a Monday morning press conference, reporters got a glimpse into what seemed to be rising tension among members of the Wilson Administration. That tension boiled over when South Seattle Emerald reporter Conner Nash questioned Barnes about reports that he frequently spends weekends and holidays with family in Chicago and whether he was out of town during the shooting.

Barnes, who was standing almost nose to nose with Nash, responded, “Let me tell you something … I don’t have to tell you where I go. I have a medical procedure I have to go to on Friday,” before being briefly interrupted by a fellow officer.

“Three,” Loux answered. “I think you have a bigger problem if your department cannot function without the police chief. That’s a bigger issue. If suddenly no one knew what to do and we had no competent leadership to take over and run this scene without the police chief.”

“Is there somebody that would be happy to see the scent be redirected towards where Barnes is, and how often is he out of town?” Curley asked.

“Sure, the mayor’s office because it’s a distraction,” Loux said. “Because the real issue is holding up the press conference and not releasing any information for five hours, waiting for dignitaries. Did Jayapal and Ferguson need TV time? Like, what are we waiting on? You can’t release any information? Where is that coming from?”

The five-hour wait for first police debrief

“The fact that the press had to wait five hours for the press conference,” Curley prompted, returning to his 1-5 scale on how troubling these issues are.

“That’s kind of nuanced. I think the bigger issue with that is they weren’t communicated with at all, right?” Loux answered. “So, why does it take five hours to get any information out whatsoever? It seemed like there’s direction coming from above. I’m guessing maybe the mayor’s office that we’re waiting for these dignitaries or something, right? I think there was probably some information to get out for public safety.”

“A little sloppy on the direction for the communication,” Curley said. “It’s not indicative of a greater problem.”

“I mean, it could be,” Loux replied. “I think there might be some micromanagement coming down from the mayor’s office.”

Earlier this week, Curley defended Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s leadership during this tumultuous situation, stating, “I don’t think she’s doing that bad” before giving her an A grade “as a novice” and a C- grade as a leader of a major city.

Gang-related or not, youth crime is skyrocketing

Loux blamed the state’s laws regarding youth crime as “emboldening” them into a deeper life of crime.

“You’re letting these juvenile laws get in the way of doing anything with these juveniles who are all going to be connected and pulled into these gangs,” Loux shared. “You see this all the way. This is happening in King County Jail right now because of bad policy.”

One of the laws Loux cited was the prohibition on interviewing witnesses or accomplices under 18 without a lawyer present.

“When you could question them, you could roll them and get some information, right?” Loux said. “There’s probably more opportunity there for a bit of an intervention, right, with this kid potentially. And now there’s nothing, right? Because you’re not building any relationship there, right? They’re going to go get their attorney, right? The public defender is going to tell them, ‘Don’t cooperate with police. Don’t say anything.’

“And now they’re pulled and probably sucked into gangs even more because things are taking care of that. Gang hits are happening in King County Jail because of age. I believe it’s a King County policy of aged-out youth. So you’re 16; let’s say you’re tried for murder or whatever, and you’re in U.S. Youth Service Center (YSC), and let’s say you turn 18. You turn 18, you go to King County Jail. King County Jail has a policy that you’re an aged-out youth. I can’t touch you. The jailers can’t touch you. So then, the gang members find this 18-year-old who just came over from YSC. Run out, run this gang hit, and then when jailers come in and do whatever they’re going to do, ‘Oh, you can’t touch me.’ This protection of these juveniles is disastrous to the safety and well-being of people in the state. Right there, there is nothing that we can do. So, who’s leading right now in Seattle? Armed carjackings? Juveniles. Robberies? Juveniles.”

Watch the full discussion in the video above.

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