Through his many campaigns for office, Harrell has never mentioned the arrest. Harrell’s online biographies make no mention of living or working in Omaha.

SEATTLE — Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell apologized Wednesday for a joke about the potential return of the Sonics. At his State-of-the-City address, Harrell took a dramatic pause and said, “Right now, at this moment, I have an announcement to make.”

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was arrested 29 years ago in Iowa and charged with three misdemeanors that were later dropped.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell was arrested in 1996 for brandishing a pistol during a late-night confrontation at a casino in Iowa, according to documents from the time. This is the first time Seattle media have reported on the incident – and brought to light a two-year period of Harrell’s life that he doesn’t discuss publicly.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell believes he was racially profiled in an incident that led to his arrest, and subsequent charges dropped, in 1996.

Mayor Bruce Harrell shares key highlights on positive city changes with Jake Skorheim. Discover the latest updates and vision.

The arrest, which Harrell never publicly discussed before but came to light after multiple local media outlets reported on it Wednesday night, came in September 1996 in Pottawattamie County, Iowa while he was living in Omaha, Nebraska. Harrell provided a statement to KING 5 about the arrest late Wednesday night.

Harrell said he's prioritized restoring parks, reducing crime and getting downtown Seattle bustling with new visitors to get the city back on the right track.

The following is the text of Mayor Bruce Harrell's State of the City 2025 – Seattle on the Rise, address on Feb. 18, 2025, as provided by the city: Good afternoon, Seattle! Thank you for joining me as I present the 2025 State of the City.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell misled police in 1996 before being arrested at a riverboat casino in Iowa, a police report that surfaced this week alleges. KUOW broke the story of Harrell’s arrest on Wednesday.

Mayor Bruce Harrell, Gov. Bob Ferguson and business leaders made the case that downtown is turning a corner. Here's what the data shows.

Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell gave his 2025 State of the City address Tuesday, highlighting his administration’s accomplishments and priorities for the next year.