Patti Cole-Tindall nominated King County Sheriff in first county appointment since 1996

Patti Cole-Tindall has been nominated as King County’s next sheriff, Executive Dow Constantine announced Tuesday.

Cole-Tindall was selected among three finalists, originally drawn from a pool of twelve applicants. The other two final candidates were Charles Kimble, chief of police in Killeen, Texas; and Reginald Moorman, a major in the Atlanta Police Department.

In 2020, King County voters decided to transition the position of King County Sheriff back to a selection committee; previously, the role was an elected one. King County’s last appointed sheriff concluded their term in 1996.

King County Public Records declined to provide information on the other nine candidates, citing Washington state law that exempts public employment applicants from disclosure requests.

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Cole- Tindall was appointed interim King County Sheriff in January 2022, following the tenure of former Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht. The charter amendment that transitioned the position to an appointed one resulted in a three-year term for the former sheriff, whose resignation was requested by Constantine and other civic leaders.

Prior to Cole-Tinall’s January appointment, King County’s next sheriff served as undersheriff, previously chief of KCSO’s technical services division. Cole-Tindall will need to undergo 19 weeks of state police academy training for recertification before officially taking the role of King County Sheriff. Her last Basic Law Enforcement Academy training was 30 years ago.

Tuesday’s appointment will stand for confirmation with the King County Council later in May.

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