Chief Adrian Diaz Oversees a Wildly Violent January Weekend, His First Official One as Chief

After a weekend of shootings alongside a narcotics bust, multiple assaults, hate crimes, and even a power outage affecting 8,000 residents, many people who call Seattle home are worried about 2023’s violent start.

“We had a violent weekend, even by Seattle standards, for what we’ve been seeing over the past two years and the rise in violent crime and shootings and homicides,” Brandi Kruse said on KIRO Newsradio.

While 2022 was a more violent year, according to Seattle Police Department’s Crime Dashboard, crime followed 2021’s rollercoaster-esque pattern in the back half of the year, crescendoing within the same months (July, August, October, December).

All this occurred on Adrian Diaz‘ first official week as Chief of Police for Seattle. Diaz was the interim chief for two years following former Police Chief Carmen Best’s resignation in August 2020, and was confirmed by the Seattle City Council with an 8-1 vote.