Allegations state ex-Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz ‘untruthful’ with investigators
Oct 30, 2024, 2:44 PM | Updated: Oct 31, 2024, 10:10 am
Adrian Diaz addresses the press at a news conference on Wednesday, May 29, 2024 after Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Diaz has been removed from his position as Seattle Police Chief. (Image courtesy of The Seattle Channel)
(Image courtesy of The Seattle Channel)
A claim of dishonesty to investigators and a potential violation of department policy led Seattle Interim Police Chief Sue Rahr to place former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz on administrative leave.
The new information comes in a letter sent Friday by Seattle Inspector General Lisa Judge to Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Council President Sara Nelson, City Attorney Ann Davison and the Public Safety Committee Chair.
Previous coverage: Decision on former SPD Chief Adrian Diaz’s future could be just days away
Judge stated in her letter that her office “identified potential violations of department policy by former Chief of Police Adrian Diaz.”
By law, Judge was obligated to notify the mayor, council and city attorney of her intent to launch a new investigation into these new violations.
“This matter involves allegations that the former chief provided untruthful information during OIG Investigation 2023OPA-0286 and violated the order to not communicate about this case after receiving multiple admonishments from OIG,” Judge wrote in the letter.
Judge quoted the order given to Diaz by the Office of the Inspector General (OIG): “To maintain confidentiality of this investigation, you are ordered by the authority of the Chief of Police not to disclose information pertaining to this investigation except with your representative or attorney.”
Notice of Chief of Police Investigation – Diaz – NEW by scoogan on Scribd
A person familiar with the case said Rahr acted quickly after being informed of the letter and placed Diaz on paid administrative leave. He was then required to surrender his service weapon, badge, key card and other police items in his possession, a standard procedure when an officer is placed on paid administrative leave.
Judge noted this new case, in which Diaz allegedly provided untruthful information and spoke to people involved in a case under investigation, will be handled by the same outside firm her office retained to investigate allegations that Diaz engaged in a romantic relationship with a subordinate and misused city assets for personal purposes.
The letter stated the firm Barran Liebman LLP, along with the investigator handling the “underlying” case, will lead this new investigation into Diaz’s alleged dishonesty.
That subordinate, Jamie Tompkins, was identified by SPD this week as the department’s Director of Communications. She was also placed on paid administrative leave at the same time as Diaz
Diaz is currently receiving his annual chief salary of $339,000 and reportedly has not been at Police Headquarters in weeks, despite his role in “special projects” as the mayor called it.
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The obligation of the Inspector General to notify the mayor, council, and city attorney of an investigation into a police chief is relatively new.
The law came into effect in July 2022, after officials recognized there were procedural guidelines for the Office of Police Accountability to investigate officers but no framework if the investigation involved a police chief.
Adrian Diaz takes legal action
To further complicate matters, Diaz has filed a $10 million tort claim against the city of Seattle, Mayor Bruce Harrell, and Deputy Mayor Tim Burgess, who serves as a public safety adviser to the mayor.
The claim, filed on Oct. 11, alleges wrongful termination, discrimination, harassment, and retaliation after Diaz revealed his sexual orientation to Harrell and Burgess in February.
Three months later, in May, Harrell removed Diaz from his role as police chief following numerous allegations of harassment and discrimination involving Diaz and the Seattle Police Department. Several internal and external investigations were launched, including those referred to by the Inspector General in her letter.
Diaz publicly came out as gay one month later on “The Jason Rantz Show” on AM 770 KTTH.
A tort claim is typically a precursor to a formal lawsuit, seeking compensation for alleged damages.
Diaz Tort Claim NEW by scoogan on Scribd
Matt Markovich covers the state legislature and public policy for KIRO Newsradio. You can read more of Matt’s stories here. Follow him on X, or email him here.
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