The Divest Digest: July 29, 2026
Consult the gun violence away, stalking troopers, and inquest clears killer cops
City to consult consultants about gun violence
At a press conference yesterday about the city’s response to the Bite of Seattle shootings, Mayor Katie Wilson said a lot of the right things, but what the city will actually do remains to be seen. In her characteristically technocratic fashion, Wilson reassured the media that her office will “partner” with an “expert in gun violence reduction.” She added that the city is “in communication with” some big-name criminal justice policy think tanks, including the National Network for Safe Communities and the National Institute for Criminal Justice Reform. No doubt, these institutions and experts have lots of “evidence-based solutions” for gun violence that would work, but let’s be real: this is Seattle. They’ll convene a panel that will write a white paper. We’ll have several hearings and then bring in more consultants to study the study. In a few years—if we’re lucky—the city will finally “stand up” a husk of the original proposal. That’s what happened the last time we “partnered” with NICJR. The think tank recommended offloading 50 percent of call types to a non-police response. Today, the anemic CARE team, hamstrung by the police contract, handles less than 1 percent of calls. Police alternatives and violence interruption work, folks. Sadly, the “Seattle process” does not.
State trooper faces stalking, other DV charges
CN: Stalking, DV
Sergeant James Arnold, a Washington State Patrol trooper based in Everett, has been charged with felony stalking and other DV charges after he stalked and harassed his ex, a Snohomish County Sheriff’s Deputy, for months. His vehicle’s GPS showed that Arnold repeatedly violated a protective order by driving his patrol vehicle past her home. He allegedly threatened to shoot her dog, advocated violence against the homeless and drug users, and said he wanted “to shoot and/or stab people and/or open fire in public establishments.” Released on bail last week, Arnold is set to go on trial in October, and the state certifying body has initiated decertification proceedings against him. While consequences like these are rare, this type of behavior is common among police officers. DivestSPD reported in April that Pedro Martos, another WSP trooper, was terminated for using his patrol vehicle to stalk his ex. Nationwide, there are more and more cases of police using databases, cameras, and ALPRs to harass women.
Seattle cop arrested for assaulting, imprisoning his wife
Content note: This post contains descriptions of domestic violence throughout.
Cops Protect ‘Make Heaven Crowded’ Event
Multiple local police agencies were on hand to guard Erika Kirk’s ominously named event at Pursuit Church’s Kirkland location on July 24th. The Kirkland police were joined by cops from Redmond, Bellevue, and the King County Sheriff’s Office, including KSCO’s “dialogue unit”. The Seattle police weren’t on scene for this particular event (in uniform, at least), but the department is cozy with Eastside evangelicals. The Blue Hero Project frequently delivers treats to SPD precincts. It’s run by Reach Church Kirkland’s Family Pastor Diane Hwang and her husband, Davin, a Kirkland police officer. SPD has guarded quite a few religious events, especially over the past year. Other past christofascist and TERF events local cops have defended include the transphobic hate rally at Cal Anderson Park last summer, where SPD brutalized protestors and community members alongside Washington State Patrol, who was called in for backup. A few days later, SPD turned out in numbers to protect Pursuit Church’s unpermitted rally at City Hall and got City Hall. When religious fanatic Sean Feucht hosted a rally at Gasworks Park a few months later, KCSO’s Dialogue Unit, SPD’s POET unit, as well as Burien and Covington police were on hand.
Fatal KCSO shooting in Seatac ruled a “suicide”
CN: suicide mention
A fatal King County Sheriff’s Office shooting on July 20 that started as a response to a traffic collision was ruled a suicide by the county medical examiner, while MyNorthwest still reports that a KSCO deputy “allegedly fired shots”. Renton police are investigating as part of the Valley Independent Investigation Team.
Inquest clears Seattle cops of 2019 killing
In May 2019, Seattle police officers Ryan Beecroft and Christopher Myers shot and killed Ryan Smith in Queen Anne. Over his career, Officer Myers has shot three people. An inquest into the fatal shooting of Ryan Smith took place earlier this month over a very quick span of only three days. Per Kiro 7, “Smith’s mother, said her son had a substance abuse problem and dealt with depression. She claims police should have recognized that and tried to engage her son through dialogue.” The Office of Police Accountability had previously declared the killing “lawful and proper” while King County classified it as a homicide in May 2024. According to the final interrogatories of the inquest, six jurors deemed that both Beecroft and Myers met the “good faith” standard of Washington State’s deadly force law and that the deadly force was “necessary.” The “good faith” standard was “clarified” just a few months before Smith’s death. In a compromise, the very high “malice” standard was removed, and “good faith” was left in the law after I-940 was passed. Seven years later, we’re seeing the limits of that reform. Last year, the city settled a wrongful death lawsuit filed by Smith’s mother for nearly $1 million.
Hey, before you go…
DivestSPD is your only source for critical police coverage in the Puget Sound area and beyond. From filing public records to reading hundred-page reports, we’re putting in the hours to bring you weekly exclusive stories about cops brutalizing the public, committing crimes, and violating civil rights.
We get all our funding from ordinary people like you, so if you think this work is valuable and want it to continue, join our Ko-fi community today. Tiers start at just $5 a month.