State Patrol commander demoted, allegedly after incident at Seahawks game

WSPOLYMPIA -- The Washington State Patrol District 1 commander has been reassigned after he allowed his son and his son’s girlfriend into a Seattle Seahawks game even though they had no tickets, The News Tribune reported Wednesday.

A Washington State Patrol spokesman on Wednesday confirmed that Ken Noland, the District 1 commander,  had been reassigned from captain to lieutenant, saying Chief John Batiste had "lost confidence in his ability to command." But the spokesman would not comment on the News Tribune report.

Noland was reassigned as a lieutenant with the State Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau.

The News Tribune reported that "a source familiar with the incident" said Noland was moonlighting at CenturyLink Field, helping to provide security and asked a ticket-taker to allow his son and the son’s girlfriend into the game even though they had no tickets. The ticket taker refused, but Noland later was able to get them admitted. Another State Patrol employee saw the exchange and reported Noland to superiors.

The News Tribune said Noland told the newspaper in a phone interview, "I made a mistake, the chief made his decision, and I'm moving forward."

As the District 1 commander, Noland was in charge of troopers in Pierce and Thurston counties.  Noland was reassigned as a lieutenant with the State Patrol’s Commercial Vehicle Enforcement Bureau.

To read the entire News Tribune article, click here.