A Seattle council member supports Mayor Harrell’s decision to oust Police Chief Adrian Diaz

SEATTLE- Bob Kettle, a Seattle City Council member and chairman of the City Council’s Public Safety Committee, said he supports Mayor Bruce Harrell’s decision to relieve former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz of his duties.

Kettle told KOMO News on Tuesday that there is no way to overlook the Office of Inspector General’s (OIG) findings. The results of the OIG investigation were released by the mayor in a letter dated December 17, 2024.

That letter was addressed to 10 people, including Kettle, Council President Sara Nelson and City Attorney Ann Davison. The mayor wrote that Diaz’s firing was due to issues including dishonesty, professionalism, conflicts of interest and an inappropriate personal relationship.

Months ago, allegations surfaced suggesting the chief had a romantic relationship with a Seattle Police Department employee. The investigation revealed, among other things, that Diaz had an intimate love affair with a former SPD employee. Diaz hired the employee and then directly supervised him. That employee wrote Diaz a handwritten card indicating that there was a romantic or intimate relationship between Diaz and the employee.

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“These are serious allegations for a leader and the investigation has shown them to be true. We can’t continue like this,” Kettle said.

Kettle said the investigation ensures the Seattle Police Department will maintain its high standards. He said this will spark a reset for SPD leadership, provide the department and the next chief with an opportunity to work with the Seattle City Council and provide a chance to further expand the City Council’s public safety work in 2024 .

“I think it’s a necessary step. I think what we need here is to move forward with the department. “I appreciate Chief Diaz and his work with youth programs and thank him for his service throughout this career,” said Kettle. “But we must move forward based on the report, and we must do so for the good of the (police) department.”

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KOMO News requested interviews with all nine council members. Only Kettle agreed to comment. Some of the council members told KOMO News that they were unaware of Diaz’s termination until the news broke last Tuesday morning.

The first tip came from an email that interim chief Sue Rahr sent to Seattle Police Department employees. In it, she wrote that she learned that the mayor had informed the city council that he had terminated Adrian Diaz’s employment effective today. The email provided no further details.

Interim Chief Sue Rahr took the job on an interim basis in May and agreed to work with former Seattle Police Chief Kathleen O’Toole to develop a list of semifinalist candidates for chief. So far there is no public list and no information about a committee that will review this list and present it to the mayor.

Last Tuesday, KOMO News asked the mayor’s office about the process and whether finalists had been identified. The mayor’s press secretary said they are working on our request, but so far there is no further information about a final hiring decision.

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Kettle told KOMO News he knows the city is doing its due diligence to find a permanent replacement for Seattle’s top cop. “This process is progressing. I will be reaching out to the mayor about the details, but I can say the process continues to move forward and move forward.”

As part of a statement released Tuesday by the mayor’s office regarding the firing of the former chief, the mayor said he looks forward to announcing the next chief in the near future.