*After more than three decades with the Dallas Police Department, Chief of Police David O. Brown announced his retirement Thursday, ending a six-year tenure leading the nation’s seventh-largest municipal police force reports NBCDFW.com.
Brown earned national attention when he became the face of the city’s response to a deadly ambush in July where five officers were killed.
“After much prayer, I am announcing my retirement from the Dallas Police Department after 33 years as a Dallas police officer,” Brown said in a statement on DPDBeat.com. “Serving the citizens of Dallas in this noble profession has been both a true honor and a humbling experience.”
In the statement, Brown went on to thank his family as well as mayors, city managers and members of the City Council, past and present, for allowing him to serve.
Brown, who did not give a reason for the abrupt retirement, said it will become effective Oct. 22. He said he’ll be unavailable until Sept. 8, at which time he’ll hold a press conference to discuss his retirement.
Following the ambush in July that killed five police officers, four from Dallas and one from DART, Brown defended the plan to kill the shooter using an explosive device on a robot saying it was the only way to protect officers from further harm since the gunman claimed to have planted bombs around the area and threatened to hurt more people. Brown said that he would make the same decision again.
As chief, Brown commanded a department of more than 4,000 employees with an annual budget of $426 million.
