Washington high court to decide if Seattle officers who attended Jan. 6 rally can remain anonymous

The Washington Supreme Court heard arguments Tuesday in a case that will determine whether the names of four Seattle police officers who attended events in the nation’s capital on the day of the insurrection are protected under the state’s public records law and whether an investigation into their activities should be made public.

The officers say they did nothing wrong and revealing their names would violate their privacy, but those seeking disclosure say the officers’ attendance at a widely covered public demonstration that drew thousands on Jan. 6, 2021, was not a private activity.

The justices must also decide whether agencies that handle public records requests must consider a person’s Constitutional rights before releasing documents — a new standard created by an appeals court ruling in this case.

When then-Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz learned that six of his officers traveled to Washington, D.C., to attend former President Donald Trump’s “Stop the Steal” rally, he ordered the Office of Police Accountability to conduct an investigation into their activities to see if they violated any laws or department policies.

The investigation found that married officers Caitlin and Alexander Everett crossed barriers set up by the Capitol police and were next to the Capitol Building, in violation of the law, prompting Diaz to fire the pair. Investigators said three other officers had not violated policies and the fourth case was ruled “inconclusive.”

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