Ask the Issaquah City Council to Vote No on Stephen Mylett
Tell the Issaquah City Council to vote No!
On the Confirmation of Stephen Mylett as new IPD Police Chief
During last week’s Issaquah City Council meeting on Monday June 15th, Mayor Mullet announced the appointment of Stephen Mylett as Police Chief.
Mylett is a problematic choice for Chief of Police. In 2022, while working as the police chief for Akron, Ohio, eight officers fatally shot Jayland Walker, an unarmed black man, 96 times during a foot pursuit. While Walker did reportedly shoot at officers once during a vehicle pursuit, he was confirmed unarmed when he was shot and killed.
The Akron Police Department and Chief Mylett faced criticism for how they handled protests after the shooting. Additionally, Chief Mylett allowed the officers to return from administrative leave 6 months before a grand jury decided they would not face charges and a year before they were cleared in an internal investigation. During their investigation, internal investigators discovered one officer was carrying an unauthorized magazine clip, adding an additional 8 rounds to his service weapon; two police cruisers “joined” in the car chase without “specific authorization”; and two officers failed to activate their body cameras during their fatal foot pursuit. Mylett claimed all officers acted “unknowingly” that their actions might be against department policy and said all relevant policies were updated after the investigation.
The shooting, protests, and public outcry led the voters of Akron to authorize the creation of a Citizen’s Police Oversight Board; Chief Mylett resigned in January 2024, a year after the board was created.
In 2003, Mylett sued the Corpus Christi Police Department for “racial discrimination and retaliation.” Mylett is white, while his supervisor was not. The Corpus Christi Police Department was awarded summary judgment as the court found Mylett had not shown discrimination or retaliation. Mylett appealed and again lost, with the Fifth District Court of Appeals affirming the summary judgment and documenting in detail all the ways in which Mylett had not made a case.
This will be Mylett’s third Police Chief appointment in the five years since he left the Bellevue Police Department. He was police chief in Akron for a little over two years and has been in Worthington, OH, for a little less than two years.
Chief Mylett’s confirmation vote is scheduled for June 29th; the City Council must approve his appointment to become the new Police Chief.
Given his problematic past, we are encouraging the City Council to vote no for Mylett as IPD’s new Police Chief; Issaquah residents deserve better.
Here are the Issaquah City Council members’ email addresses,
Whole Council: citycouncil@issaquahwa.gov
City Council President Tola Marts – tolam@issqauhwa.gov
City Council Deputy Council President Kelly Jiang – kelly.jiang@issaquahwa.gov
Councilmember Lindsey Walsh – lindseyw@issaquahwa.gov
Councilmember Joe Russell – russellj@issaquahwa.gov
Councilmember Kevin Nichols – kevin.nichols@issaquahwa.gov
Councilmember Paul Adair – paul.adair@issaquahwa.gov
Councilmember Erika Boyd – erika.boyd@issaquahwa.gov
Here is a sample letter you can send to the City Council:
Subject: Request to Vote No on Confirmation of Stephen Mylett as Issaquah Police Chief (June 29, 2026)
Dear Issaquah City Councilmembers,
I am writing as a concerned Issaquah resident regarding the upcoming June 29, 2026, vote to confirm Stephen Mylett as the next Chief of the Issaquah Police Department.¹
While I recognize the importance of appointing experienced leadership, I urge you to carefully review Mr. Mylett’s record and vote **no** on his confirmation.
During his tenure as Police Chief in Akron, Ohio, Mr. Mylett led the department at the time of the fatal shooting of Jayland Walker in June 2022. Mr. Walker, an unarmed Black man at the time of the shooting, was struck by dozens of rounds fired by police following a vehicle and foot pursuit.² Although investigators reported that Walker had discharged a firearm earlier during the chase, he was unarmed at the time he was killed.² This incident drew national scrutiny and raised serious concerns about use of force and police oversight.
Equally concerning were the leadership decisions that followed. Under Mr. Mylett’s direction, the department allowed the officers involved in the shooting to return to duty in administrative roles approximately six months before a grand jury declined to bring charges, and before the conclusion of internal investigations.³ This decision was widely criticized by community members and leaders as undermining accountability during an active investigation.
Internal investigative findings also revealed multiple lapses in policy adherence, including:
– An officer carrying an unauthorized extended magazine, increasing the number of rounds available during the incident,
– Two officers joining the pursuit without specific authorization,
– Two officers failing to activate their body cameras during the fatal foot pursuit.²
Mr. Mylett’s response—that officers were unaware their actions may have violated policy and that policies would be updated afterward—reflects a reactive rather than preventative approach to leadership and oversight.
The broader impact in Akron further underscores these concerns. The shooting and its aftermath led to protests, significant public outcry, and ultimately the voter-approved creation of a civilian Police Oversight Board to improve accountability.⁴ Mr. Mylett later resigned from his position in early 2024 following this period of unrest and reform.⁵ These developments reflect a substantial erosion of public trust under his leadership.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Mylett also filed a lawsuit against the Corpus Christi Police Department alleging racial discrimination and retaliation. However, the court granted summary judgment in favor of the city, finding insufficient evidence to support his claims—a decision that was later affirmed by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit.⁶ The appellate ruling details the evidentiary shortcomings in his case and reinforces concerns regarding professional judgment and discernment in handling internal conflict.
Finally, Mr. Mylett has held multiple police chief roles in a relatively short period of time since leaving Bellevue, Washington.⁷ ⁸ Frequent leadership turnover at this level raises additional questions about long-term stability and organizational fit.
Taken together, these events raise serious concerns about leadership, judgment, and discernment. A police chief must demonstrate proactive accountability, sound decision-making under pressure, and the ability to maintain public trust during crisis situations. The record outlined above suggests challenges in these critical areas.
Issaquah deserves a police chief who not only has experience, but who also consistently demonstrates transparency, accountability, and the ability to lead in a way that strengthens community trust.
For these reasons, I respectfully urge the City Council to vote **no** on the confirmation of Stephen Mylett as Chief of the Issaquah Police Department.
Thank you for your time, your service, and your thoughtful consideration of this important decision.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
[Your Address or “Issaquah Resident”]
[Optional: Contact Information]
—
Sources
- City of Issaquah – Appointment announcement https://www.issaquahwa.gov/m/newsflash/Home/Detail/6460
- NBC News – Fatal shooting of Jayland Walker; probe clears 8 officers https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/fatal-shooting-jayland-walker-ohio-police-probe-clears-8-officers-rcna127143
- WKYC – Officers return to duty in administrative roles https://www.wkyc.com/article/news/special-reports/jayland-walker/8-akron-officers-fatally-shot-jayland-walker-return-duty-administrative-roles/95-5f1087d1-f03f-4a23-9754-3ce44a250048
- Associated Press – Akron voters create police oversight board https://apnews.com/article/jayland-walker-police-ohio-akron-7f8dad99fd536cd8bcb7d4c2c091c114
- Ideastream – Akron police chief Steve Mylett to retire https://www.ideastream.org/government-politics/2023-09-12/akron-police-chief-steve-mylett-to-retire-at-the-end-of-the-year
- U.S. Court of Appeals (5th Cir.) – Mylett v. City of Corpus Christi (2004) https://www.ca5.uscourts.gov/opinions/unpub/03/03-40774.0.wpd.pdf
- MyNorthwest – Mylett leaves Bellevue for Ohio https://mynorthwest.com/local/bellevue-police-chief-steve-mylett-leaving-department-for-new-job-in-ohio/3021965
- MSN – Worthington police chief leaving after less than two years https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/careersandeducation/worthingtons-police-chief-is-leaving-after-less-than-two-years-on-the-job/ar-AA25oIgj
