(The Center Square) – Former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz has been fired by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell following an investigation into Diaz’s actions while head of the department.
Diaz first faced lawsuits alleging grooming and harassment in late April when a $5 million tort claim was filed by four female Seattle Police Department officers, who allege sex discrimination, sexual harassment and a hostile work environment within the department.
The following month, Diaz stepped down from the police chief position. During a press conference on May 29, Harrell called Diaz a “good human being” multiple times.
After Diaz stepped down, he was moved within the department to “work on special assignments.”
Harrell made the decision to terminate Diaz on Tuesday.
“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,” Harrell said in a statement emailed to The Center Square. “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.”
Harrell informed the Seattle City Council of his decision in a letter, citing details from the Office of Inspector General’s report. Based on the findings, Harrell determined that Diaz acted inconsistently with the following SPD policies: dishonesty, professionalism, avoiding and disclosing conflicts of interest, and improper personal relationships.
According to the report, Diaz had an intimate relationship with a former SPD employee and then appointed the individual to a position that did not exist at the time. Diaz then directly supervised that employee.
Amid the lawsuits, Diaz responded to claims of sexual discrimination and harassment by the female officers in an interview on “The Jason Rantz Show.” During the interview, Diaz revealed that he is gay.
Last October, Diaz and Seattle Police Department Director of Communications Jamie Tompkins were placed on paid administrative leave. Within that same month, Diaz filed a $10 million tort claim against the city alleging a wrongful discharge and discrimination.
Harrell met with Diaz on Dec. 12 to discuss the report and the policy violations that it raised. During the meeting, Diaz asserted that his relationship with the unnamed employee was platonic, criticized the objectivity of the investigation, called into question the credibility of multiple witnesses, and asserted that the investigator failed to obtain and review his phone records after they were requested – even though he purportedly offered to provide them during the investigation.
Harrell said that none of Diaz’s assertions raised new evidence not already in the report or adequately challenged the quality of the investigation.
Former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr has served as the interim police chief since Diaz stepped down in May. SPD is anticipated to hire a permanent police chief in the near future.
