Former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz sues city, claiming his firing was political

(The Center Square) – Former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz is suing the city, alleging his termination by Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was unlawful and politically motivated.

Last December, Diaz was fired by Harrell following an investigation into Diaz’s actions while head of the department. According to findings from the Office of Inspector General’s report, Diaz violated Seattle Police Department policies related to honesty, professionalism, conflict of interest disclosures, and inappropriate personal relationships.

Prior to his firing, Diaz filed a $10 million claim against the city alleging a wrongful discharge and discrimination while on paid administrative leave.

In an email, Jamie Housen, the mayor's director of communications, told The Center Square that Harrell’s office does not typically comment on active litigation but said that they took Diaz at his word amid rumors regarding him.

"After we received the facts from an independent investigation, he was terminated for dishonesty – we are confident that the fact finding allowed by the litigation process will demonstrate the truth," Housen said.

Diaz was the interim police chief from 2020 to 2022 until he was selected to be SPD’s permanent chief by Harrell. According to the complaint, Diaz did not have any disciplinary actions or a single substantiated complaint at that point in his policing career.

The complaint goes into detail on an instance in which Diaz and Harrell disagreed on firing Seattle Police Officers Guild Vice President Daniel Auderer, who was captured on body camera laughing during a phone call about the death of Jaahnavi Kandula, 23, who was hit and killed by a marked Seattle police vehicle going 74 mph in an intersection in 2023. This garnered public backlash amid a growing divide between the police department and city residents.

Auderer was ultimately fired in July 2024.

According to the complaint, Harrell demanded Auderer be fired, but Diaz said it was necessary to provide all officers with due process and adhere to the terms of the Accountability Ordinance. He also told Harrell it was highly inappropriate for the mayor to personally direct the police chief to impose specific discipline against a Seattle police officer.

The complaint alleges Diaz’s termination was the result of a targeted campaign by members of Harrell’s office “based on his refusal to simply do as he commanded, even when those commands were to perform unlawful acts.”

Former Seattle Police Department Chief of Staff Jamie Tompkins was placed on paid administrative leave in October 2024 along with Diaz amid internal rumors of a sexual relationship between the two that both parties deny occurred. Last April, Tompkins’ lawyer sent Harrell’s office a letter asking if it was interested in a negotiated resolution of the dispute, with a demand of $3 million settlement.

The Center Square reached out to Diaz’s attorney, Jacob Downs, for comment on the complaint, but did not receive a response.