The Seattle Police Department’s civilian watchdog received 60 complaints against former Police Chief Shon Barnes during his roughly 18 months leading the department, including two new investigations opened this week after a heated confrontation with a reporter following a press conference on the deadly Bite of Seattle mass shooting.
According to KING 5, the new figures add another chapter to Barnes’ tumultuous tenure, which ended Thursday after Mayor Katie Wilson asked him to resign amid mounting criticism over the city’s response to the Seattle Center shooting that left three people dead and several others injured.
The outlet reported that the Office of Police Accountability (OPA) confirmed it had received 60 complaints against Barnes since he became chief in January 2025. While most have been resolved or were not sustained, 15 remain open, including two cases opened this week following Barnes’ exchange with South Seattle Emerald reporter Connor Nash.
The watchdog agency told KING 5 it will continue investigating the open complaints despite Barnes’ resignation.
The latest investigations stem from a confrontation Monday morning after Barnes, Mayor Wilson and other officials held a press conference addressing the Bite of Seattle shooting.
Barnes had explained that he was attending the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives conference in Dallas when the shooting erupted Sunday evening near the Seattle Center Armory.
As the press conference ended, Nash questioned Barnes about reports that he planned to remain out of town until mid-August and asked about the frequency of his travel.
According to video of the exchange, Barnes turned back toward the reporter and replied, “I don’t have to tell you where I go…”
A city employee then appeared to physically guide Barnes away while repeatedly saying, “Let’s go, let’s go,” ending the confrontation.
According to KING 5, OPA has now divided complaints arising from that encounter into two separate investigations—one examining Barnes’ conduct during the confrontation itself and another focusing on the issues raised by Nash regarding the chief’s travel schedule and his whereabouts when the shooting occurred.
An OPA spokesperson told the outlet that the office received a surge of complaints after video of the incident circulated publicly. The agency emphasized that anyone can file a complaint and that opening an investigation does not constitute a finding of misconduct.
The confrontation was only the latest controversy to engulf Barnes following the Bite of Seattle shooting.
The chief faced widespread criticism after remaining in Dallas while Seattle dealt with one of its deadliest shootings in recent years. The city also came under fire after nearly five hours elapsed before Seattle police held their first formal media briefing, and officials did not issue a mass emergency alert despite thousands of people remaining near Seattle Center.
In the days that followed, Barnes acknowledged publicly that his wife and children continue to live in the Chicago area while he maintained an apartment in Seattle.
Questions about his travel intensified after records released by the department showed extensive travel during his tenure, including multiple trips to Chicago and several out-of-state conferences. Barnes later canceled a scheduled one-on-one interview with KOMO News roughly 30 minutes before it was set to air after questions mounted over his travel schedule.
The Post Millennial also reported that it sought comment from the Seattle Police Department regarding a federal tax lien filed against Barnes and his wife tied to their Chicago-area home shortly before Wilson announced his resignation. The department did not respond before Barnes stepped down.
Barnes also drew national attention before arriving in Seattle. While serving as Madison, Wisconsin’s police chief, he faced criticism over his handling of public questions following the 2024 Abundant Life Christian School shooting and later became embroiled in a dispute with that city’s independent police oversight office before being hired by then-Mayor Bruce Harrell.
Mayor Wilson told the station that factors beyond this week’s confrontation contributed to her decision to seek Barnes’ resignation, although she has not publicly detailed what those additional concerns were.
OPA declined to identify the nature of Barnes’ other open complaints or whether any of them influenced the mayor’s decision.
For now, despite Barnes’ departure, the investigations into his conduct will continue as Seattle searches for its fourth permanent police chief in less than three years.