Former Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz has been placed on paid leave pending a surveillance investigation

Former Police Chief Adrian Diaz was placed on administrative leave Monday, a Seattle Police Department spokesperson told KUOW in an emailed statement. He declined to say why Diaz was placed on leave and said he would not comment further on pending personnel matters.

Diaz and his personal attorney Ted Buck could not be reached for comment at the time of publication.

According to a spreadsheet from the Office of Police Accountability, at least 51 complaints — ranging from serious to absurd — have been filed against Diaz since 2022.

Diaz, who became interim police chief in September 2020 and later took over that position permanently, resigned during a news conference in May where he shed tears. Mayor Bruce Harrell demoted Diaz to a “special projects role” in the department and former King County Sheriff Sue Rahr became interim chief.

In the days before his demotion, records obtained by KUOW showed that Seattle police watchdogs referred two investigations into Diaz to outside investigators. This involved allegations that he had hired a romantic partner and further allegations that he had used a police vehicle for private trips. During one of these trips, Diaz allegedly had his security detail run out of town to buy beef jerky for him.

In the summer of 2023, rumors spread in the ministry that Diaz had hired an alleged romantic partner. Diaz attempted to dispel the rumors, contacting the FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security. He also fired a junior employee for discussing the rumor with colleagues.

Diaz had previously denied that his relationship with the woman was ever romantic, via his attorney Buck, who told KUOW in August 2023 that Diaz and the aide were friends.

Such complaints were among the many controversies that plagued the department with Diaz at the helm. Eight officers filed lawsuits against the department alleging racism, sexism and discrimination, with four of the five lawsuits specifically naming Diaz. An officer accused him of “predatory behavior.”

At the same time, the department had difficulty retaining and hiring officers.

In June, after his release, Diaz came out and revealed his sexuality in an interview with KTTH's Jason Rantz.

“You know, it's absurd and I didn't have a chance to tell my story,” an emotional Diaz told Rantz. “It’s a story that I’ve struggled with for the last four years, that I’m a gay Latino man.”

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.