Seattle police chief resigns days after Bite of Seattle shooting

The latest: Deputy Chief Andre Sayles will serve as the Seattle Police Department's interim chief, Mayor Katie Wilson's office said in a news release Thursday afternoon.

Catch up quick: Seattle officials went about five hours before holding a public briefing after Sunday's shooting.

Barnes said he was out of town at a law enforcement executives' conference in Dallas when the shooting occurred.

• He also has traveled to Chicago frequently to visit his family, who have been living there while he rents an apartment in Seattle, according to news website PubliCola.
• Earlier this week, Barnes got into a heated exchange with a reporter who asked about his travel schedule — an interaction that was captured on video and made headlines.

Flashback: Barnes was brought on by Wilson's predecessor, Bruce Harrell, in late 2024.

• He was one of the department heads Wilson kept on after she took office earlier this year.

What they're saying: Wilson acknowledged problems with the city's response to the shooting in a Wednesday interview with The Seattle Times.

• "The public did need information sooner about whether there was any remaining threat to the public, and about the status of the Seattle Center campus," Wilson told the newspaper.
• "That information sharing should not have taken five hours."

What's next: Wilson plans to hold a press conference at 11am Friday to introduce Sayles and discuss the search process for a permanent chief.