Seattle Police say meddling by absent chief, mayor’s staff complicated shooting response

Tyrone Davis, the acting chief during the Seattle Police Department’s July 26 response to the mass shooting at Seattle Center, told City Council members Tuesday he was pulled between demands from elected officials and the city’s absent chief as he oversaw a complex crime scene. Police said they have implemented changes to better insulate commanders in the future. The city’s police commanders said problems with the Bite of Seattle shooting response stemmed from then-Chief Shon Barnes stepping on their authority from a distance — Barnes was at a conference in Dallas when the shooting happened — and from repeated requests by Mayor Katie Wilson’s staff to delay a press conference.

Missing media or need the complete publisher report? Open KUOW

Scoop News DeskSeattle, Washington · Published Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 7:52 PM UTCUpdated Tuesday, September 22, 2026 at 9:31 PM UTC

Scoop News reporting summary

The text below was supplied by the Scoop Newsroom app. Third-party reporting is attributed in the source panel.

1 dead — in the shootout while That person has since been charged with first degree assault for firing into the crowd. Under “what went well,” the police report noted officers had one shooter in custody within 30 seconds, and made a “seamless transition from tactical response to life-saving aid and scene security.” But the report identified several problems and “structural gaps behind the scenes.” The convergence of elected officials at Seattle Center “distracted” police from addressing the chaotic scene and providing timely updates to the public, according to the report.