Hours after his sudden retirement as Houston’s police chief, Troy Finner stated his profession with the police division was rewarding, regardless of challenges alongside the way in which.

“Thirty 4 years in the past, I made a decision to turn out to be a Houston police officer and serve my metropolis,” Finner stated in a press release posted to X Wednesday. “It has been among the finest selections I’ve made in my life. Each day, even essentially the most difficult ones, has been rewarding.”

The announcement of his retirement got here within the type of an electronic mail to metropolis workers late Tuesday evening from Mayor John Whitmire, who later stated he felt sick studying of the chief’s retirement.

It occurred simply days after Finner introduced the police division wrapped up an investigation into greater than 264,000 incident stories that have been suspended utilizing an inner “lack of personnel” code— and simply hours after information stories that he knew of the code way back to 2018. Finner has publicly claimed he first realized of the code throughout a gathering in late 2021.

RELATED: Houston Police Chief Troy Finner retired amid suspended circumstances dispute, mayor says

“The previous few months of my profession have been, maybe, essentially the most difficult but most rewarding,” Finner stated within the assertion Wednesday.

“It was painful as a result of some victims of violent crime didn’t obtain the standard of care and repair they deserved,” he stated. “However, it was additionally helpful as a result of we applied measures to make sure this by no means occurs once more. Our division and our occupation will likely be higher due to it.”

Throughout a press convention Wednesday, Whitmire stated the 2018 electronic mail on the heart of latest native media stories was the “closing straw” in Finner’s resolution to retire.

Efficient minutes after the Tuesday evening electronic mail was distributed to metropolis workers, Government Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite stepped in to function the appearing police chief of the state’s most populous metropolis.

“I’m honored to be on this position proper now, nonetheless it occurred as a result of I’m so pleased with the women and men that I get to work with on a regular basis and it’s them that hold us going and I respect that,” Satterwhite stated Wednesday.

Because the division’s govt assistant chief, Satterwhite was charged with main, organizing and implementing administration methods. He was referred to as on to behave as a liaison with metropolis officers when designated by the chief, based on a police division command overview doc.