Former LAPD Chief Willie L. Williams Dies at 72 NR16139jh

Los Angeles:
Willie L. Williams died on April 26, 2016 at 72 years of age.
The 50th Chief of the Los Angeles Police Department passed away in
Fayetteville, Georgia late last night according to Williams’s
family.

LAPD Chief of Police Charlie Beck
eulogized, “I stand with a heavy heart after hearing the loss of
our Former Chief Williams. He came at a time when the city was in
great unrest and helped Los Angeles rebuild itself back into the
great city it is today.”

Born October 1, 1943, Williams was the first African-American to be
appointed Chief of Police of the Los Angeles Police Department on
June 30, 1992. Williams was seen as an official who restored
confidence in the Department and the community after the Rodney
King incident. During his time, he introduced the department’s
‘Mission Statement’ which provided a renewed focus on service to
our community.

Williams was a community policing advocate and co-wrote ‘Take Back
Our Streets; Fighting Crimes in America’. After leaving LAPD in
1997, Williams was later appointed as Federal Security Director for
Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport in 2002.

Viewing services for Chief Williams will be held on Monday, May 2,
2016 at the Carl J. Mowell & Son Funeral Home located 180 Jeff
Davis Drive, Fayetteville, Georgia from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Chief
Williams will be then transported for funeral services in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on May 7, 2016 at the Zion Baptist
Church at 3600 North Broad Street. Viewing will be from 8 a.m. to
11 a.m. followed by funeral services at 11 a.m. The family has
requested any donations in honor of Chief Williams be made to the
American Cancer Society for the cure of pancreatic cancer in his
name.

To further honor Chief Williams, Chief Beck has authorized all
department members to wear the mourning band.