Seattle detective slams city over 5-hour mass shooting briefing response
SEATTLE - Seattle officials faced criticism for taking nearly five hours to hold a news conference after the Bite of Seattle mass shooting on July 26. However, one official disputed the city's response and called it "not accurate."
In an email obtained by FOX 13 Seattle, Seattle Police Department Detective Brian Pritchard stated that the official contradiction is inaccurate and hurts his professional credibility with media contacts.
Keep reading to find out what was communicated in Prichard's email, and what the city has said.
Controversy over press conference delay
What we know:
Members of the media were initially told that a press conference would be held near the Space Needle around 9:45 p.m., prompting a swarm of reporters to gather outside the taped-off Seattle Center campus.
However, hours passed without any updates as unverified claims spread across social media.
In a statement, Seattle Mayor Katie Wilson said that two suspects were in custody, when there was in fact, was only one suspect detained.
Dig deeper:
On the night of the shooting, Prichard told waiting media that the briefing was delayed to wait for "dignitaries" to arrive. The press conference finally began around 10:45 p.m., led by Seattle police Assistant Chief Tyrone Davis.
At the time of the initial press conference, Chief Barnes was in Dallas attending the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives Conference.
City leaders faced sharp criticism after waiting nearly five hours to hold a press conference following the shooting.
Mayor Wilson was also criticized for prematurely stating that two suspects were in custody when only one suspect had been arrested.
At a second press conference at City Hall the morning after the shooting, Wilson addressed the delay, stating, "My office put out a statement at 8:30, which again, included an initial inaccuracy. So, again, this speaks to the tension between providing information early and providing it accurately." Wilson added, "So we, along with SPD, were trying to manage that tension, and we got information out to you all as soon as we possibly could."
Seattle leaders hold press conference on Seattle Center mass shooting
Seattle police say three people died and four people were injured in a shooting at Seattle Center on Sunday during the Bite of Seattle food festival. One suspect is in custody, and another is on the run.
Internal SPD email reveals department frustration
What they're saying:
In an email obtained by FOX 13 Seattle, to department leadership, Pritchard cited internal frustration over inaccurate messaging about delayed press briefings.
He also requested vacation time running through Aug. 3 to "decompress after the Seattle Center shooting incident."
Pritchard wrote that he was struggling with official messaging following the July 26 briefing.
He noted that subsequent statements incorrectly claimed the briefing was not delayed for dignitaries.
"This is not accurate. And the conflicting information impacts my credibility with my media colleagues," Pritchard wrote, adding that the time away would allow him to "reset, recharge, and come back focused and ready to move forward."
Bite of Seattle shooting investigation
The backstory:
Three people were killed, and five others were injured in a shooting at Seattle Center on the northwest side of The Armory during the Bite of Seattle event at 6 p.m.
Those killed were identified as 19-year-old Junior Cee Niko Semo, 44-year-old Carlos Israel Sanchez Villalba and 56-year-old Ashley Whitehead. Five other victims were taken to the hospital and later discharged.
Court documents revealed the following day that police believed a 15-year-old suspect was involved in a gunfight with Semo.
Days following the shooting, Wilson accepted the resignation of Chief Shon Barnes and appointed Deputy Chief Andre Sayles to lead the department on an interim basis.
The Source: Information for this story came from an internal email from Seattle Police Detective Brian Pritchard, the Seattle Police Department and original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle.
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