Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell announced Wednesday that Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz is “stepping aside” to work on special assignments for the mayor with the Seattle Police Department.

Harrell appointed Sue Rahr as interim police chief to start Thursday.

In a media release, Harrell said that Rahr “is uniquely qualified to step into this position and will be an outstanding leader for our police department.”

Harrell said a nationwide search for the next permanent police chief will begin immediately.

Harrell publicly thanked Diaz for his service at a press conference Thursday.

In a media release from the City of Seattle, Chief Diaz said:

“I’m proud of the work we’ve done together, but recognize now is the right time to step away for the best interests of the city and its people. I look forward to continuing to serve our communities and neighbors and supporting the department as we move forward.”

KIRO 7′s Deborah Horne asked the mayor what was the “straw the broke the camel’s back” when it came to this announcement.

The mayor said that there wasn’t “one” event, but he acknowledged that recent lawsuits regarding retaliation and discrimination have been filed, and this announcement will ensure that those investigations are not impeded “in any way.”

Lawsuits from within the department have been piling up against Chief Diaz over the past seven months, including claims of retaliation and discrimination.

The latest suit, brought by Eric Greening, says that Diaz retaliated against him for bringing up issues of bias. Greening is also the third former Assistant Chief to accuse Diaz of racist and sexist behavior.

Amid growing calls for change, the Seattle City Council passed a measure to require SPD to report what the organization is doing to hire more women and address gender discrimination issues. The outcome of these lawsuits could influence policies at precincts across Seattle.