Texts on hold: SPD delays Bite of Seattle shooting records

Interim Seattle Police Chief Andre Sayles says he needs more time before he can release the police department’s internal communications the night of the deadly Bite of Seattle shootings.

On Monday of last week, Sayles promised to release texts and Microsoft Teams messages between officers that were sent the night of the shootings.

But on Friday, Sayles announced the release would be delayed to ensure accuracy and prevent the disclosure of investigative leads.

Here is the wording of the announcement made by Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles:

During a news conference on Monday, I told journalists I would be releasing text messages and Microsoft Teams messages regarding the tragic violence at the Bite of Seattle event on July 26.

I need to delay the release of any records. We must ensure accuracy and ensure investigative leads are not disclosed. The public is owed accuracy and transparency, and we must release the full scope of communications that night.

We appreciate your patience as we work to get this right.

This decision to delay the records comes days after Mayor Katie Wilson’s office released its own batch of communications.

City councilmembers and the Office of the Inspector General are asking why public safety information was withheld from the public for five hours after the shooting.

They are seeking answers about the events of the day of the shooting as part of an ongoing review.

At a Seattle City Council Public Safety Committee meeting last month, councilmembers questioned the mayor’s public safety director, Alison Holcomb, about the timeline of public messaging and lack of communication.

Records released last week show Holcomb texted at 7:46 p.m. a message that said, “This looks like a group violence incident between people who knew each other.”

Less than an hour later, the mayor’s office issued a public statement that did not include that detail.