NEWS GLEAMS | Adrian Diaz No Longer Police Chief; Officer in Manuel Ellis Death Sues City of Tacoma and State

A roundup of news we don't want to get lost in the fast-churning news cycle.

by Vee Hua 華婷婷

Adrian Diaz No Longer Seattle Police Chief

Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Wednesday, May 29, that Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz "will be stepping aside to work on special assignments" and that former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr will be interim police chief as the City begins a national search for Diaz's replacement.

The Stranger reported early Wednesday that Diaz was no longer police chief as of Tuesday, May 28. In a press conference, Harrell touted the successes of SPD and the "outstanding" accomplishments of Diaz, who he said he "met in community" and "had credibility in many underrepresented communities."

In the same press conference, Harrell spoke to ongoing internal reviews of the SPD culture and police departments throughout the nation, especially those that centered the feedback of female police officers.

Four female police officers notified the Seattle Police Department (SPD) last month of their intent to sue the department alleging a hostile work environment, harassment, and sexual discrimination. Their tort claim — which is a necessary prerequisite for a case to be officially filed — names Diaz for participating in "predatory and discriminatory behavior," as well as Lt. John O'Neill for harassment, including uncomfortable private encounters and intimidation tactics.

On April 30, Harrell issued a memo to the Seattle City Council detailing the steps he was taking to investigate the allegations, including the hiring of an independent firm. In response, Ted Buck, attorney for Diaz, denied the allegations and claimed their roots were based in "modern politics" and that "salacious allegations and propaganda will routinely beat fact checking."

He hinted that Diaz would agree to step aside from his role and that ongoing allegations and litigations would be a distraction from his ability to continue as chief. Diaz will remain on the force in a yet-to-be-determined rank.

Diaz offered his own comments and broke into tears as he reviewed accomplishments from the last years of his tenure, which began amid the racial reckonings of 2020, following the death of George Floyd.

"I've accomplished so much in the four years as chief, but there's more work to be done. I passed that challenge along to my predecessor, and I will continue to support the City as I transition to this new role," Diaz said and became emotional as he added, "I want to thank the men and women of the Seattle Police Department for their hard work. And the community that has supported us through every challenge."

Harrell named Rahr as interim police chief and cited her accomplishments working under the Obama administration and as a subject matter expert in the 3030 Initiative, which aims to hire 30% women officers by 2030. Her work at SPD will take place at a time when the department is focused on recruitment, retention, and "working to create safety for all of our neighbors."

"I'm gonna start by listening. I want to hear from the men and women of the Seattle Police Department what you're seeing, what your ideas are, what you need. … Armed with that information, I'm going to do my very best in the short time that I am here to get you the tools and support that you need to deliver good policing to the people we serve," stated Rahr. She also said she would speak to and listen to the many diverse communities within Seattle to understand their ideas for how to improve community safety.

Rahr will be delaying her retirement to temporarily take on the role. The City will immediately launch a search for a long-term police chief, which Rahr will not apply for. Harrell said that in the goal of changing the culture of SPD, they will conduct a national search, and they may intentionally look outside of the city for the best candidates.

Officer Involved in Death of Manuel Ellis Sues State and City of Tacoma for Damages

After being acquitted in December 2023 of first-degree manslaughter charges related to the 2020 death of Manuel Ellis, former Tacoma police officer Timothy Rankine and his wife are suing the City of Tacoma and Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson for a total of $47 million. Rankine seeks $35 million in damages and his wife Katherine Chinn seeks $12 million in damages, with both alleging that the City and State destroyed their reputations by falsely accusing Rankine of participating in criminal misconduct and being racist. Rankine and his wife are Asian American and Ellis was Black.

"Rankine's and Chinn's filings do not reference specific statements by the city or attorney general, or describe the ongoing threats or violence they say they have experienced," reported The Seattle Times, which notes that Matthew Collins and Christopher Burbank — the two other officers who had been involved in Ellis' death but were also acquitted — had not filed similar suits.

During the trial, both the defense and prosecution had differing accounts of what happened during the encounter, which took place at a Tacoma intersection. Ellis had been walking home from a 7-Eleven when he passed Collins and Burbank inside their police vehicle. The officers claimed Ellis had tried to open their car door, became aggressive after they questioned him about it, and displayed "superhuman strength." Three eyewitness accounts and nearby home surveillance footage seemed to contradict the officers. The eyewitnesses stated that the officers antagonized Ellis first and did not stop attacking him even after he was face down on the ground and told them he could not breathe.

Following the acquittals of officers Rankine, Burbank, and Collins, the Tacoma Police Chief essentially cleared them of wrongdoing and entered into a voluntary resignation agreement with each officer, who each accepted $500,000 in payment to leave the police force.

As previously reported in the Emerald, the U.S. Department of Justice announced in January that it will undertake its own investigation to determine whether the officers' actions in beating, tasering, and hog-tying Ellis were a violation of federal law.

Last Call for Post-Production Microgrant From Black Cinema Collective

Less than a week remains for Black filmmakers to apply to the Black Cinema Collective's Filmmaker Microgrant. The juried grant offers two awardees $7,500 each that will go toward post-production needs related to their current film project. The selected filmmakers will also be given digital prizes sponsored by the online streaming platform MUBI, as well as bicoastal screening opportunities from the New York African Film Festival and Northwest Film Forum in Seattle.

Filmmakers can apply for works in any genre, and the projects can be shorts or features that are ready to move in the post-production phase. Grants will be juried by actor and filmmaker Zainab Jah; composer, performer, and intermedia artist Chari Glogovac-Smith; and artist and filmmaker Ania Freer.

All interested filmmakers can apply by its extended deadline of Sunday, June 9, at 11:59 p.m. PST. Anyone with questions about the grant can email BCC.Circle@Gmail.com; please allow for up to 48 hours for a response.

View a video recording of a workshop regarding the grant or read an FAQ with commonly asked questions.

📸 Featured Image: Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz in 2021. (Photo: Susan Fried)

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