SEATTLE NEWS ARCHIVES & FEATURES
Ex-police chief Adrian Diaz files lawsuit against city of Seattle over termination
May 28, 2025, 5:55 PM | Updated: Sep 23, 2025, 12:49 pm
Former Seattle Police Department (SPD) Chief Adrian Diaz has announced he is suing the city of Seattle over his termination.
He released the following statement Wednesday:
A year ago, Mayor Bruce Harrell relieved me of my duties as Seattle’s Chief of Police. The city of Seattle holds a special place in my heart, and I have always believed in its potential and its people. Over the course of 28 years, I proudly maintained an impeccable record as a Seattle Police Officer and dedicated myself to serving the Seattle community with integrity.
While city leaders unfairly accused me of dishonesty and unprofessional conduct, there is critical evidence disproving those allegations that the city intentionally overlooked, minimized, and ignored. Additionally, I voluntarily took a polygraph test that confirmed the truthfulness of my statements during the investigation, and a handwriting expert has discredited the so-called key evidence the city purportedly relied upon in terminating my employment.
The Mayor and city leaders have unfortunately left me with no other choice than to seek justice through legal action.”
The mayor’s office responded, saying the litigation process will reveal the truth.
“We don’t typically comment on active litigation; however, in this case, we will say: When all we had was rumor and innuendo regarding Adrian Diaz, we took him at his word. 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,” the mayor’s office wrote in a statement to “The Jason Rantz Show.”
Diaz files lawsuit over firing after claims of sexual harassment, discrimination
Diaz was fired in December after the results of an investigation into his behavior.
That investigation claims Diaz had “an intimate or romantic relationship” with a former police department employee, one he allegedly hired and supervised for a position he created.
Jamie Tompkins, a former Seattle television anchor, resigned from her position as SPD’s director of communications. In a statement to “The Jason Rantz Show” on KTTH, she denied that she was in a “romantic or sexual relationship” with Diaz.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced in May that Diaz would be removed from his position following claims of discrimination and sexual harassment. Diaz subsequently came out as gay on “The Jason Rantz Show” in June, stating he did not have a sexual relationship with Tompkins.
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