Dallas Police Chief David Brown is set to return to work today slightly more than two weeks after his son fatally shot two people, including a Lancaster police officer, City Manager Mary Suhm confirmed Tuesday.
Suhm said she met with Brown on Tuesday afternoon at City Hall and they discussed his return to the department.
“We just talked about all the stuff we needed to do,” Suhm said. “We talked about what we’re going to do in the next six or eight months and about the budget.”
Brown is expected to make his first public appearance this morning when he speaks at the North Texas Crime Commission’s monthly breakfast meeting, fulfilling a long-standing commitment.
Many observers are waiting to see whether the intensely private chief will address the Father’s Day shooting involving his son, David Brown Jr. – who was subsequently shot and killed by police – and the on-going controversy surrounding the decision of police commanders to call in a motorcycle escort for part of the son’s funeral procession.
That decision angered many Dallas officers, and Suhm has since appointed an outside investigator to review what happened and make any necessary recommendations.
The younger Brown, 27, was killed on June 20 after a series of bizarre actions that included dancing around his Lancaster apartment complex pool in his boxer shorts and humming to himself. He then walked up to the car of 23-year-old Jeremy McMillian, a stranger, and shot him multiple times. Brown Jr. then opened fire on Lancaster police Officer Craig Shaw, who had responded to the McMillian shooting, killing him.
Autopsy results released last week reported that Brown Jr. had PCP, marijuana and alcohol in his system at the time of the shooting rampage.
Upon his return, Chief Brown faces a slew of swirling controversies among his rank-and-file officers.
Many Dallas police officers continue to be outraged that Brown’s son received the motorcycle escort, an honor typically reserved for deceased police and dignitaries. There have also been calls for the resignation of First Assistant Chief Charlie Cato and Deputy Chief Julian Bernal for their decision to order the escort. The two senior chiefs have said they did it as a public safety measure, while many in the rank-and-file said the escort besmirched the memory of Shaw.
“People are still reeling over this escort thing,” Dallas Police Association President Glenn White said Tuesday. “I’ve had numerous calls today, and I’m talking ranting and raving phone calls. People are just fed up. I think Brown needs to distance himself from both of them.”
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DETAILS: Chief David Brown Issues Statement On Lancaster Shootings to Dallas Police
Dallas Police Chief David Brown said publicly for the first time Tuesday that the son who shared his name killed a Lancaster police officer and another man before he was killed by police.
“The past few days have been very troubling and emotional for all of us,” Brown said in a written message to the 3,600-member department he leads. “My family has not only lost a son, but a fellow police officer and a private citizen lost their lives at the hands of our son. That hurts so deeply I cannot adequately express the sadness I feel inside my heart.”
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