Seattle police Chief Shon Barnes downplays viral reporter clash
Seattle police chief downplays confrontation with reporter
A viral video is fueling a new round of questions for Seattle police Chief Shon Barnes, after being seen confronting a reporter who asked if he's been away from the department following a mass shooting.
SEATTLE - At a Tuesday news conference, Seattle police Chief Shon Barnes addressed a viral exchange with a reporter, which turned tense over questions about his frequent travel.
Barnes downplayed the incident, saying that he "wouldn't describe it as a heated exchange," before going on to say that he respects the media and their role in sharing information with the community.
Seattle police chief confronts reporter asking about his whereabouts during mass shooting
Seattle police Chief Shon Barnes got into a confrontation with a reporter who asked about his whereabouts during the mass shooting at Seattle Center that killed three people and injured 5 others.
What Barnes said at Tuesday's news conference
What Was Said:
"I respect our media. I respect what you do. I consider you a big part of the community," Barnes said Tuesday. "I understand that your job is to ask tough questions."
He continued to say that he's passionate about his work as a police officer, which can sometimes be uncomfortable when the subject matter involves loss of life.
"Every time someone is killed, I get a phone call and a description of what happens," he explained. "And my process is the same. I listen, I question, sometimes get angry. I wonder what could have been done. What happened? What contributed to this loss of life? What can we do differently?'"
Barnes concluded by saying that he's moving the department's community response group over to investigations to assist with apprehension and gun violence detection in an effort to ensure accountability.
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The viral confrontation
The backstory:
In a video posted to TikTok on Monday, Barnes is seen speaking with a reporter and can be heard saying, "I have been here working as hard as I can for this city from the day I got here, you got that?"
The reporter then says, "But there are reports saying that you are not in town often."
Barnes then bluntly states, "The reports are wrong, you understand?"
Before the reporter can ask a follow-up question, Barnes is pulled away by a member of his staff and walks away.
The sentiment that Barnes is not in town often has gained traction online after it was learned that he was not in Washington when the deadly shooting at Seattle Center occurred. Barnes was also not at Sunday night's press conference about the shooting.
At Monday's news conference, the police chief fielded questions on why it took multiple hours for the department to release any information about the shooting, which included knowledge that a suspect had not yet been detained.
Seattle Police Chief Barnes responds to confrontation
During a news conference about the Bite of Seattle shooting, Seattle Police Chief Shon Barnes responded about his exchange with a reporter.
The Source: Information for this story came from a news conference with Seattle Police Department Chief Shon Barnes and Mayor Katie Wilson.
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