Eastside Chief colluded with union to scuttle investigation into friend
Former Clyde Hill Police Chief was forced into early retirement in May after an investigation found he derailed an internal investigation, destroyed records, took gifts, and shirked duty.
A major shakeup in the police department of a tiny, affluent Seattle suburb was resolved quietly at the end of May, when Clyde Hill Police Chief Kyle Kolling agreed to retire rather than face a humiliating public termination for official corruption.
The city released almost no details about Kolling’s departure, but today, DivestSPD acquired the full report compiled by an outside investigator. It found that Kolling killed an internal investigation into an officer and committed a range of other misconduct, including accepting expensive wine and cigars, deleting “flirtatious” texts with a domestic violence victim, and claiming pay for hours he did not work.
Last October, the Clyde Hill Police Department opened an investigation into Officer Cameron Hanson. The day after the first interview was scheduled, Kolling had a call with a police union representative. The next day, Kolling instructed Commander Dawn Hanson to “stand down” and informed her that the allegations would be handled informally.
Kolling then ordered evidence seized from Officer Hanson to be returned without properly documenting it or following established procedures. The allegations against Officer Hanson were later formally investigated and sustained, but the report does not specify what they were.
Cigars, Wine, and Gift Cards
Kolling visited the home of a community member on multiple occasions and was seen transporting large crates of wine in a department vehicle more than a “dozen times,” according to the report. Another witness reported that Kolling never paid or discussed payment with that person.
The investigator wrote: “The consistency of these accounts, along with the routine manner in which the conduct was described, indicates that these interactions were not viewed as isolated events but had become normalized over time within the work environment.”
Moreover, Kolling “actively solicited” gifts. A witness told investigators that he contacted them about when he could get more wine. He even asked for specific varieties and brands. Kolling claimed that he paid for some of the wine, but there was no evidence.
He was also given pricey cigars. These contacts occurred while Kolling was on duty, and he was seen on several occasions leaving the person’s house smelling of cigar smoke.
A private citizen also donated gift cards to Kolling to distribute to his officers. He didn’t. Kolling admitted that his handling of the gift cards was “improper.” When he left the position, gift cards were found in his desk.
Newly released report shows why Snoqualmie chief got sacked
The City of Snoqualmie was tight-lipped when it fired Police Chief Brian Lynch last month. Official statements vaguely alluded to violations of policy and standards of conduct as well as “discrimination and harassment,” but the city withheld more details, citing confidentiality. Now we know precisely why he was let go.
Deleted Texts With DV Victim
Kolling also destroyed records of “flirty” communications he had with the subject of a domestic violence protective order. He met the woman at the hotel bar during a law enforcement conference and later learned that she was a Clyde Hill resident with an order against a former partner.
Though Kolling destroyed the texts from his work phone, forensic investigators recovered messages described as “increasingly personal and inappropriate remarks.” Some samples include texts like, “I’m trying to flirt with you” and “Not to be creepy, but, how amazing of a mom you are is attractive.”
Kolling also offered to personally intervene in her case, texting “I’m hoping you will be if you ever need support at court, I have your back.” And Kolling violated state law by using police databases for personal purposes.
Time Theft
Aside from his social calls on the clock for wine pickups and cigar breaks, Kolling was “routinely absent from the office during normal working hours, frequently leaving early, and being unavailable when he would be expected to be on duty and accessible.”
The report notes that issues with the department’s timekeeping practices prevented the investigation from fully accounting for Kolling’s work hours, but investigator found at least one instance where he claimed an entire workday and did not work at all.
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