Seattle’s next police chief: Mayor appoints Shon Barnes of Madison, Wisconsin to lead

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell has appointed Madison, Wisconsin Police Chief Shon Barnes to lead the Seattle Police Department. Barnes will begin his tenure in Seattle in January and will serve as interim chief until the city council confirms his appointment.

Barnes has been in the national spotlight since Monday, when a school shooting in Madison left three dead, including the shooter, and six injured.

“Earlier this week, under tragic circumstances, the nation received its introduction to Chief Shon Barnes. We all saw firsthand what our team has known since we began this recruitment process – that Chief Barnes possesses the impressive leadership capabilities, compassionate approach, and dedication to effective police work needed to continue moving our Police Department forward,” Harrell said in a news release Friday.

The city took a new approach to finding a new chief, as was evident by the tight lid leadership kept on the names of finalists.

“In prior searches it was more of a show around who the next chief would be. We thought it was important in this instance to focus on the recruitment side of it, finding the highest quality candidates and tapping into the networks of Chief Sue Rahr and former Chief Kathleen O’toole,” mayor spokesperson Jamie Housen said.

Rahr had been leading the police department on an interim basis since May, when Harrell demoted former Police Chief Adrian Diaz. Diaz’s demotion came on the heels of several lawsuits against him, filed by officers who accused him of harassment and discrimination.

In total, there were 57 applicants for police chief, which was narrowed down to 44. The top four applicants were invited to take an exam in November. Three of the applicants passed the exam and their names were forwarded to the mayor for consideration. They were Chief Barnes; Nicholas Augustine, Assistant Chief of the Montgomery County, Maryland, Department of Police; and Emada Tingirides, Deputy Chief, Los Angeles Police Department.

“I am truly honored to accept this position and thank Mayor Harrell for his trust and confidence,” Barnes said in the news release. “The mayor and I share a vision that crime prevention and community safety is a shared responsibility and that every community member plays a role in keeping Seattle safe.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.