Lakewood police’s second in command out on leave pending internal investigation
The Lakewood Police Department’s assistant chief, John Unfred, is on paid administrative leave pending the outcome of an internal investigation, a department spokesperson confirmed Tuesday.
Unfred, who reports to Police Chief Patrick Smith as the department’s second in command, was placed on leave March 19, according to Sgt. Charles Porche.
It’s unclear what Unfred is being investigated for. Porche said he couldn’t speak to the subject of the inquiry, and he didn’t have information about who is conducting the investigation.
Lakewood’s assistant chief is responsible for operational leadership and oversight, according to city budget documents. The position also oversees labor relations and policy development, and the assistant chief is expected to represent the department and city internally and externally.
Capt. Jeff Alwine is filling in as acting assistant chief, Porche said.
The News Tribune’s attempts to reach Unfred for comment were not immediately successful Tuesday.
Unfred has been with the department since it formed in 2004. According to previous reporting from The News Tribune, he’s been assistant chief since 2015 and was a finalist to replace former Police Chief Mike Zaro after he retired in 2023. Instead Smith was selected. He came to Lakewood from Birmingham, Alabama, where he was police chief from 2018 to 2022.
Unfred also has been a member of the Pierce County Type-3 Incident Management Team for more than 16 years and has been deployed to numerous disasters, according to the City of Lakewood, including the 2017 Amtrak train derailment in DuPont and Hurricane Florence, which in 2018 hit North Carolina and South Carolina.
Prior to his time with Lakewood police, Unfred worked in the Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, which provided police services to Lakewood before the city formed its own department. Unfred also served in the U.S. Army for nearly six years.
This story was originally published April 1, 2025 at 1:00 PM.
