Bellevue police official abruptly retires over misuse of vehicle

A top Bellevue police official abruptly retired Friday after he admitted he used emergency lights to quickly maneuver through traffic while taking his son and friends to a school event in Sammamish last month.

Deputy Chief Michael D. Johnson, who had been with the department for more than two decades, left after the announcement of an investigation into the incident.

“Deputy Chief Johnson was very embarrassed, humble, and remorseful,” Police Chief Steve Mylett said in a statement. “He had one moment where he had a lapse in judgment, and that lapse resulted in his separation from the police department — that is truly unfortunate.”

Johnson could not immediately be reached for comment.

He was off-duty driving an unmarked police vehicle and using emergency equipment when Sammamish police stopped him on suspicion of a traffic violation on Oct. 24, according to Bellevue police. He was not cited, Bellevue police spokesman Seth Tyler said.

Johnson immediately told the chief what happened.

“[He] immediately took responsibility for his actions, offered no excuses and did not try to rationalize his behavior,” the chief wrote. “By retiring, he put the needs of the Department before his own.”

Mylett placed Johnson on administrative leave, pending the outcome of an investigation. The chief planned to ask an outside agency to investigate.

Johnson announced his retirement Thursday, which essentially ended the investigation. The inquiry would have determined why Sammamish police stopped Johnson in the first place, Tyler said.

It’s not the first time Bellevue police have been found acting inappropriately.

A sex scandal in the top ranks of the department that resulted in demotions and a shake-up of its command staff surfaced in 2013. And a year prior, one officer was demoted and another was temporarily suspended for misconduct at a Seahawks game. An internal investigation found the demoted officer later drove a city vehicle after consuming alcohol.