Black community organizations rally at Seattle City Hall, urge Mayor Katie Wilson to reinstate Chief Shon Barnes

A coalition of Black community organizations marched into Seattle City Hall in protest of Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to fire Seattle Police Department Chief Shon Barnes.

According to The Seattle Medium, a coalition of at least nine Seattle Black community organizations gathered to meet with Wilson to urge her to reconsider any decision to remove Barnes. The coalition encouraged supporters to protest the firing at Seattle City Hall Thursday morning with a rally lasting from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m.

The coalition included the Community Passageways, Creative Black Brilliance Braintrust, NAACP Seattle Branch, the Martin Luther King Jr. Commemoration Committee and the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Parents for Student Success, Seattle Clergy, the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle, and 100 Black Parents.

“About 10 members of that coalition just headed up into an elevator to meet with Mayor Katie Wilson,” KIRO Newsradio reporter Luke Duecy stated at the scene of the rally. “That coalition of Black community organizers and organizations is rallying behind Barnes, trying to convince the mayor to change her mind and put him back in office.”

Representatives of the coalition argued Barnes is being unfairly blamed for communication failures following the mass shooting at the Bite of Seattle.

In contrast, the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, also known as The Uvalde Foundation For Kids, commended Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson’s decision to remove Barnes, calling the action an important step toward restoring public confidence and strengthening accountability.

“Public safety depends on communication and collaboration,” Daniel Chapin, Founder and President of the Youth Peace & Justice Foundation, said. “When nonprofit organizations, law enforcement, and local government work together, communities benefit. Unfortunately, following the Seattle tragedy, our foundation’s repeated efforts to coordinate assistance for victims and support the investigation went unanswered. That was deeply disappointing.”

The Bite of Seattle shooting and Shon Barnes’ firing

When a gang-related mass shooting broke out during the final day of Bite of Seattle at the Seattle Center, killing three and injuring at least four others, including a 2-year-old, it was revealed Barnes was not in town to respond to the tragedy.

It took the police department five hours to hold a media briefing regarding the shooting, led by Tyrone Davis, the assistant chief for the SPD. It was then that the public learned the department had one suspect in custody, and that two guns were recovered at the scene. For the five hours prior, both the media and the public were only made aware that a shooting took place at Seattle Center from one SPD post on X.

Officers within the SPD claimed the delay was due to state dignitaries, including Governor Bob Ferguson and Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal, wanting to be present at the briefing. Wilson later claimed the delay was due to sorting through rumors to confirm the truth.

It wasn’t until approximately 17 hours after the shooting, during a press conference Monday, that it was reported and confirmed for the first time that one of the suspects died at the scene and a third remained missing and unidentified in addition to one being in custody.

City leaders have since held multiple press conferences to relay more details and updates of the investigation to the media, with one specific conference turning into “a scuffle.”

Barnes told the media he was out of town Sunday due to attending the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference in Dallas. He then got into a confrontation with Connor Nash, a reporter for The South Seattle Emerald, after he asked the chief about reports that he is not in town often.

“I don’t have to tell you where I go,” Barnes said, as shown on video posted by KOMO News. “I have a medical procedure that I have to do on Friday.”

The reporter responded, and then Barnes replied, “No, you need to know this. I have been working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here. Do you got that?”

“There are reports that you are not in town often,” the reporter said.

“Their reports are wrong,” Barnes responded. “Do you understand?”

Barnes was then pulled away to another room by an official who broke up the face-to-face confrontation, repeatedly telling Barnes, “Let’s go.”

A day later, Barnes strongly rejected suggestions that he frequently travels or is routinely absent from the city.

“I don’t travel as often as I would like to,” Barnes said at a Tuesday press conference. “I think any reports that I’m gone every weekend are grossly misstated.”

The Office of the SPD Chief published Barnes’ schedule for the year, including his absences. The schedule showed seven planned trips for various conferences across the country in addition to four trips to Chicago, where his family resides.

According to SPD Chief’s Office, the department pays for his travel related to work conferences, while Barnes personally pays for his family trips to Chicago.

Publicola reported that Barnes has spent at least 47 documented days out of town this year through July 26, and that number may be higher because SPD has not provided his calendar for January, February, or most of March.

Barnes, 51, was in attendance at a silent vigil for the victims of the Bite of Seattle shooting at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday before leaving abruptly, according to sources, for a meeting with Wilson. He additionally canceled a planned interview with KOMO News 30 minutes before he was scheduled to answer questions about the fatal shooting and how often he leaves the city.

Barnes was initially given the option to resign or be fired, multiple sources told KIRO Newsradio, with the chief choosing not to resign.

“We have nothing we can confirm at this point,” Patrick Michaud, the public information officer for the SPD, told KIRO Newsradio. “Please reach out to the mayor’s office to confirm for further information.”

KIRO Newsradio has reached out to the mayor’s office for confirmation.

Barnes was officially sworn into office 12 months ago, replacing interim chief Sue Rahr, although he had held the role since January 2025.

This is a developing story, check back for updates

Contributing: Frank Sumrall, MyNorthwest