@1: Because the Stranger always wants to push anything and everything which makes the SPD look bad:

“Uh, were cops following this woman to try to catch her and the chief together outside of class?”

(The rest of us know the SPD needs no help to look bad.)

men who look like frogs need love too

The Stranger’s previous angle was the cops were acting like teenagers, instead of doing their jobs like professionals: “If SPD spent as much time trying to clear cases as they do spreading rumors…” (https://www.thestranger.com/slog-am/2023/09/06/79154969/slog-am-diaz-drama-every-day-march-organizer-sues-seattle-proud-boy-leader-gets-22-years-in-jail)

That quote was from one of four full paragraphs Rich Smith wrote about this non-story in that post alone. Now we learn the rumor spread rapidly not because cops are like teenagers, but because the (non-badged) SPD employee aggressively spread his fake story, so as to deflect attention from his own alleged harassment of the woman in question. He was eventually caught and dismissed, but “SPD Internal Review Process Working Just Fine” is a headline you’ll never, ever read at the Stranger, so they’re just going to keep on pretending there’s something more here.

Also, if the Stranger wants a higher clearance rate for cases, it can stop demanding defund, and instead request more detective work. This, in turn, would require more offices, so detectives aren’t forced into patrol work. Good luck with getting the Stranger to do that, instead of just blaming cops for defund-borne difficulties the Stranger itself did everything it possibly could to create.

Well, please don’t complain about the forthcoming Biden impeachment, as you’re engaging in the same level of rank speculation and conjecture to prove a political point not based in facts.

The other sad part of this story -- if it really does bare out that it was all manufactured rumor -- is that KUOW got suckered into reporting it as fact. Sure, they kept saying that their editorial motivation was based on how much the internal SPD investigation was creating turmoil in the department, and that the allegations were not confirmed. But when you use phrases like, "we have a mountain of circumstantial evidence,"[1] you as a news organization are very clearly implying that the story is about corruption and coverup by Chief Diaz and other parts of his command staff. It is shoddy journalism, and KUOW needs to own up to that fact.

[1] Isolde Raftery, 7:07, https://www.kuow.org/stories/reporters-notebook-how-a-story-goes-from-rumor-to-reported

Face it, extreme right wingers always lie.

And most of those lies are projecting their own criminal behavior and impulses on others.

Sigh.

@7: The original story at KUOW was repeatedly clear, no conclusive evidence of a sexual relationship was found between Diaz and his assistant.

The larger issue, barely mentioned by anyone, was Diaz’ personal friend having received a well-paid job with the city, despite no public posting of the job opportunity, little to no interview process, and scant relevant experience on her part: “…the department is dealing with a massive staffing shortage, and the advisor is expected to have a role in recruiting. The advisor’s LinkedIn resume indicates she has no experience in civil service or hiring.”

(https://www.kuow.org/stories/seattle-police-chief-s-alleged-relationship-with-employee-prompts-inquiries-roils-department)

@9: SPOG appreciates your service.

@10: What does Chief Diaz getting a personal friend a well-paid job on the city payroll have to do with SPOG?