Leaders from across the D.C. area honored retiring police chief Robert Contee during a walkout ceremony on Wednesday.
Contee — who announced that he was leaving the D.C. police force and accepting a role with the FBI in late April — rose through the ranks starting as a cadet, to eventually become chief, serving a total of 33 years.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, who attended the ceremony, said she was proud to join the 700,000 residents of D.C. in honoring Contee “on an outstanding career.”
The ceremony included a helicopter flyover, bag pipes and a cheering crowd, as Contee walked alongside his family.
“I couldn’t be successful in this job if it had not been for the support and understanding from you guys, so thank you from the bottom of my heart,” Contee said, thanking his family.
Ashan M. Benedict has been named the interim chief, as the city begins its search for a new leader for the force. Benedict served as the executive assistant chief of D.C. police since April 2021.
See the entire ceremony below.
