Voicemail shows mayor's office delayed police briefing

A voicemail left for a Seattle police spokesperson confirms the mayor's office asked officers to delay a scheduled media briefing after the Bite of Seattle shooting. The recording was released following a public records request. It comes three months after the incident, with the investigation still open and no new suspects identified.

The audio was left on the phone of Detective Brian Pritchard, a Seattle Police Department spokesperson. Alison Holcomb, the mayor's public safety director, requested a change to the schedule. "I wanted to call you and let you know the mayor is on her way with her EPU," Holcomb said in the message. "So, if you could please hold on the 9:45 availability until the mayor is able to join you, that would be great."

The request directly asked police to pause public updates that evening. This confirms coordination between the executive branch and the police department regarding the timing of information releases. The delay meant the public waited nearly five hours for critical information following the shooting.

City Council members raised questions about that timeline during an August committee meeting. Councilmember Dan Strauss pressed Holcomb on whether the mayor's office intervened to stop or slow down the press conference. "Did the Mayor's Office or designee of the mayor ask to pause, delay, not hold a press conference, at all? At any time that evening?" Strauss asked during the hearing. Holcomb replied, "No. I can't answer that question, honestly."

Police officials told council members in September that a deputy mayor blocked briefings from happening before 8 p.m. Mayor Katie Wilson denied that allegation. Wilson has previously accepted responsibility for the late-night communication delays. She ordered an independent review to examine the city's overall response to the shooting.

Wilson is scheduled to host a media availability on Tuesday. The city is currently waiting for a review by the Office of Inspector General. An audit of the city's CCTV cameras is also underway as part of the ongoing investigation.