SEATTLE (AP) — Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson may oust the city’s police chief following public criticism over the response to a fatal shootout at a crowded food festival under the Space Needle.Wilson asked Chief Shon Barnes to resign but he declined, said Sheley Secrest, president of the Washington state NAACP. Secrest was not present for the conversation but learned of it Wednesday from Barnes’ chief of staff, she said.Wilson’s office has not responded to requests for comment. Barnes told The Seattle Times on Thursday that whether he remains chief is “up to the mayor.” He said he was off for the day and spending time with family. A police department spokesperson told The Associated Press he did not have any information to share about the situation.Barnes was out of town at a law enforcement conference when gunfire erupted last weekend at the Bite of Seattle, an annual three-day festival that draws hundreds of food and retail vendors and performers. Three people, including one suspect, were killed, and four people were wounded. One of the injured was a 2-year-old boy.
Dozens of officers were at the event, and at least one saw a 15-year-old suspect firing into a crowd and quickly persuaded him to surrender, according to court documents. Police are still searching for at least one other person.Both the Seattle Police Department and Wilson have faced criticism for slow and confusing communication in the shooting’s aftermath.
