Brooklyn Center Police Chief Plans to Retire
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Kellace McDaniel plans to retire effective January 31 2024, city officials told CCX News on Friday, Sept. 8.
McDaniel stepped into the role in June 2022, replacing former Brooklyn Center Police Chief Tim Gannon.
Gannon resigned in the wake of the fatal officer-involved shooting of Daunte Wright in April 2021.
For around a week after former Brooklyn Center police officer Kim Potter shot and killed Wright during a traffic stop, protesters surrounded the Brooklyn Center Police Department and clashed with law enforcement. This followed the May 2020 incident involving former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was later convicted of murdering George Floyd.
Brooklyn Center Police Chief Kellace McDaniel plans to retire effective January 2024, city officials told CCX News on Friday.
The embattled Brooklyn Center Police Department went more than a year without a permanent police chief.
A large contingent of Brooklyn Center police officers left the department following Wright’s shooting.
“During his tenure, Chief McDaniel has been instrumental in rebuilding the police department’s patrol division and maintaining the support staff necessary to carry out the city’s mission,” the city wrote in a press release. “In the past 14 months, Chief McDaniel has sworn in over 13 police officers and has been integral in the police department’s community engagement and community policing efforts.”
Meanwhile, Brooklyn Center started the often-contentious and still-ongoing process of restructuring its emergency response model.
The Brooklyn Center City Council approved a resolution in May 2021 to have unarmed civilians and social workers respond to non-moving traffic violations and mental health calls.
Before taking the Brooklyn Center job, McDaniel served as a lieutenant with the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office. He was also a corrections officer with the Scott County Sheriff’s Office.
“We all wish Chief McDaniel the best in his retirement and know his service to the city of Brooklyn Center has made a positive impact on the community,” the city wrote in a press release.
Gannon has since sued the city, alleging employment violations.
