Following a completed investigation by the Office of Police Accountability, I have issued a written reprimand to the lieutenant related to his conduct during the May 24, 2025, Mayday USA rally and counterdemonstration at Cal Anderson Park.
The language he used, captured on body-worn video as his team prepared to make arrests, did not reflect the standards I expect of any Seattle police officer, and certainly not of a supervisor. Leaders set the tone for those they lead. Words spoken before officers enter a crowd shape how that crowd is policed.
In determining discipline, I followed the principles of progressive discipline that guide this department and are required for fairness and consistency. The lieutenant had minor prior disciplinary history. OPA recommended a range of disciplines for the sustained finding, and my decision falls within that range. Progressive discipline is meant to correct conduct, hold employees accountable, and make clear that repeated misconduct will bring more serious consequences.
Discipline for one individual does not resolve the larger concerns raised by the Office of Inspector General’s Sentinel Event Review. That review made clear that our department did not understand the depth of concern within the LGBTQ+ community before this event, and that our actions that day damaged trust. I accept that finding.
We have already begun this work, and we will continue it. That includes acting on the OIG’s recommendations, strengthening our crowd management practices, expanding the work of our LGBTQ+ liaison and advisory council, and engaging directly with community organizations before — not after — events that affect them.
Cal Anderson Park sits in the historic heart of Seattle’s LGBTQ+ community. Every person in this city, whatever their identity or beliefs, deserves a police department that protects their rights fairly and treats them with dignity. That is the standard I will uphold in this department, and it is work that lies ahead for all of us.