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SEATTLE - The Seattle Police Department has delayed the planned public release of internal text and Microsoft Teams messages related to the response to the Bite of Seattle shooting, Interim Police Chief Andre Sayles said Friday.
The decision marks a reversal from earlier in the week, when Sayles indicated the records would be released by Friday in response to public disclosure requests.
Reason for the Delay
What they're saying:
Sayles said the department decided to postpone releasing the records to ensure accuracy and protect active investigative leads.
"I want to make sure we have everything, we put it all out, it's all accurate, the timelines up there of what we have," Sayles said earlier in the week regarding the collection of SPD text and Teams messages.
Sayles stressed that SPD remains committed to releasing the full scope of internal communications from the night of the incident once those investigative concerns are addressed.
Mayor's Office Released Message Trove
The backstory:
The postponement follows a late-Friday release of text messages last week by Mayor Katie Wilson’s office prior to the holiday weekend.
Those messages revealed internal discussions among city officials regarding the handling of the incident and public messaging during the emergency response.
When asked about the records at a public appearance Monday, Wilson emphasized moving past the release.
"We released those texts in the interest of transparency and there's been write-ups of them," Wilson said. "We're really focused on moving forward."
Questions surrounding the timelines and internal coordination remain, particularly regarding whether mayoral staff sought permission or approvals before taking key steps during the response.
Call for Full Public Records
Seattle City Council Public Safety Chair Bob Kettle emphasized that SPD's records are critical to establishing a clear and complete timeline of events.
"It's important to have their piece out there," Kettle said, noting that the release of texts by the mayor's office set a precedent for full disclosure. "Particularly because, you know, in a way I started this with my timeline and my statement. Now, the mayor and her team has put out this trove of texts and so forth."
What's next:
SPD has not provided a new date for when the records will be made public.
The Source: Information for this story came from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle's Dan Griffin, who followed up on his previous story about SPD announcing that it would release internal texts related to the Bite of Seattle shooting.
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