Adrian Diaz, the former Seattle police chief, is no longer with the department, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell’s office confirmed with KIRO 7 News Tuesday morning.
Harrell told the Seattle City Council he fired Diaz after seeing the results of an investigation into the former police chief’s behavior.
In a statement to KIRO 7 News, Harrell said, “Based on the findings from the Office of Inspector General’s report, I made the decision to remove Adrian Diaz from the Seattle Police Department. While they take time, this is why we do investigations that are robust and thorough and why we use facts to support decisions that are aligned with the values of our city. I want to thank the Office of Inspector General for this comprehensive investigation, and I look forward to announcing our next Police Chief in the near future.”
That investigation claims Diaz had “an intimate or romantic relationship” with a former police department employee — one he allegedly hired and supervised for a position he created.
Harrell announced on May 29 that Diaz would be removed as the department’s chief amid lawsuits claiming discrimination and harassment. At that time, Rahr, the former King County sheriff, was going to come out of retirement to become interim chief for the foreseeable future.
Since then, Diaz had been reassigned to work on what was referred to as “special assignments.”
At that time, Harrell said Rahr had no plans to become the permanent chief and will assist Harrell and former police Chief Kathleen O’Toole in a national search for Diaz’s replacement.
A claim of dishonesty to investigators and a potential violation of department policy led Rahr to place Diaz on administrative leave from his position working on “special assignments” in October.
That information came in a letter sent by Seattle Inspector General Lisa Judge to Mayor Bruce Harrell, City Council President Sara Nelson, City Attorney Ann Davison and the Public Safety Committee chair.
Diaz released a statement to KIRO 7 News:
I proudly dedicated 27 years of service to the City of Seattle, and I was deeply saddened and blindsided by Mayor Harrell’s decision earlier today to terminate my employment. I strongly disagree with both the decision and the purported reasons behind it. From the start of this investigation, I have been truthful and clear: I never engaged in a romantic or inappropriate relationship with Ms. Thompkins. The rushed investigation report, which the Mayor claims to have relied upon, is fundamentally flawed. The investigator chose not to consider crucial evidence, neglected to interview key witnesses, and failed to preserve evidence, all of which would have exonerated me. This termination lacks legitimate or lawful justification; it is an act of retaliation for my prior disclosure of my sexual orientation and my refusal to comply with what I believed to be an unlawful directive from the Mayor. I look forward to clearing my name and exposing the City’s retaliatory actions.
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