King County Sheriff Nominee To Be Announced Tuesday

KING COUNTY, WA — King County Executive Dow Constantine is scheduled Tuesday to unveil his selection for the next sheriff, roughly six months after beginning a nationwide search for candidates to fill the permanent role. Voters in 2020 approved a charter amendment to revert the sheriff to an appointed, rather than elected, position, nominated by the executive and subject to approval by the Metropolitan King County Council.

Former sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht, who voters elected in 2018, left office at the end of last year.

According to the executive's office, the national search attracted 12 applicants for the top job, including interim sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall, who previously served as director of the county's Office of Labor Relations and joined the sheriff's office in 2015. Cole-Tindall was promoted to undersheriff in 2020 and took over for Johanknecht at the beginning of the year.

In early April, Constantine revealed three finalists for the permanent role, naming Cole-Tindall alongside Charles Kimble, chief of police in Kileen, Texas, and Reginald Moorman, a major in the Atlanta Police Department.

In the weeks since the finalists were announced, the county has hosted public forums with the three candidates and made them available for public interviews. According to The Seattle Times, all three candidates agreed deputies should be provided with body cameras, which will require successful union negotiations and budgeted funds.

Constantine will name his nominee during a news conference scheduled for 10:30 am. Tuesday at Steve Cox Memorial Park in White Center. The nominee will be subject to confirmation from the council, with a formal nomination transmitted this month, and officials expect the new sheriff will officially take the reins in the summer.

The King County Sheriff's Office serves more than half a million residents across unincorporated areas and twelve contract cities and employs more than 1,000 people.

Learn more about the three finalists here.