Lakewood to pay $300K to police leader subject to internal investigation
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Lakewood may pay more than $420,000 to Assistant Chief Unfred amid rescinded probe.
- The agreement enables retirement in good standing despite unclear allegations.
- Unfred remains on leave, ending employment March 2026 with full benefits.
The Lakewood City Council is considering whether to pay Assistant Police Chief John Unfred more than $300,000 to retire within the next year after its Police Department placed him on administrative leave pending an internal investigation.
The terms of the agreement are outlined in the City Council’s agenda for its Aug. 4 meeting, where it appears as part of its consent agenda, which could allow council members to authorize Interim City Manager Tho Kraus to approve the agreement without public discussion. Unfred signed the agreement July 22.
Approving the agreement would prevent Unfred from suing Lakewood while paying a settlement of $420,998, including severance and other standard payouts, and allow him to retire in good standing. According to the city, the actual amount Unfred will receive after taxes, benefit premiums and entitled leave cash outs is $306,193.50.
It also obfuscates the circumstances of Unfred’s departure by rescinding the investigation initiated against him earlier this year. He has served in the Police Department since it formed in 2004 and has been assistant chief since 2015.
Lakewood and its Police Department have remained tight-lipped about the subject of Unfred’s investigation since he was placed on leave in March. According to agenda documents, it was a “professional standards” investigation, and as part of the agreement the city will issue a press release stating it has been rescinded and that Unfred has not faced any disciplinary action.
“Further, the City will explain that Unfred has been restored to active duty as Assistant Chief but is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons, with a planned retirement in 2026,” the text of the agreement states.
Reached by phone Wednesday, Unfred declined to comment and said he’d wait until “ink hits paper.”
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. Unfred has remained on administrative leave since March 19, and Capt. Jeff Alwine has been filling in as acting assistant chief.
Through a spokesperson, Police Chief Patrick Smith said he did not have a comment about Unfred’s separation agreement.
A spokesperson for the city, Brynn Grimley, said she did not have any information about why Unfred was internally investigated. Public records released by the city to The News Tribune also have not shed light on the investigation. Documents were largely redacted, citing an ongoing inquiry.
Whatever the subject of the investigation, it appears to have led Unfred to obtain legal representation.
One attorney representing him, James Blankenship, sent a letter to Mayor Jason Whalen, former City Manager John Caulfield, Interim City Manager Kraus and City Attorney Heidi Wachter on April 2. The letter was almost entirely redacted when it was released to The News Tribune through a public records request, due to an exemption of the Public Records Act for records that would reveal an attorney’s thought processes in connection with completed, existing or anticipated litigation.
Unfred’s last day of employment will be March 31, 2026, according to the agreement, unless he decides to voluntarily end his employment earlier.
If approved, Unfred will be restored to active duty for one day to announce his retirement via email and to clean out his office. He’ll then be on personal leave until his last day of work. According to the agreement, Unfred will continue to receive his regular salary and benefits until then.
Once Unfred is no longer an employee, the settlement includes severance equivalent to nine months salary along with standard payouts for vacation and sick leave. In 2024, according to city documents, Unfred’s annual pay rate was $198,612.00.
Unfred will also receive the typical customs afforded to an officer retiring from the Police Department, including having his badge affixed to a retirement plaque.
His separation from the Lakewood Police Department adds to a list of recent high-profile departures in Pierce County law enforcement agencies. Former Tacoma Police Chief Avery Moore stepped down in February, with the city agreeing to pay him $479,267.15 to resign. The Tacoma Police Department’s former Assistant Chief Paul Junger was fired March 31 after a workplace investigation found he created a hostile work environment for women.
Editor’s note: This story was updated Aug. 7 with information from the City of Lakewood clarifying that the total settlement cost for the city is $420,998 including severance, vacation and sick leave cash outs, and the actual amount Unfred will receive is $306,193.50 after taxes, benefit premiums and entitled leave cash outs.
This story was originally published July 31, 2025 at 5:30 AM.
