Former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle 'passed peacefully," family says

DALLAS (CBSNewsTexas.com) — Former Dallas Police Chief David Kunkle has passed away peacefully, according to his wife, Sarah Dodd.

The 72-year-old had been battling Lewy body dementia over the last couple of years. 

The Dallas Police Department's current chief Eddie Garcia responded to Kunkle's passing saying, "I had the honor of meeting Chief Kunkle the week that I arrived in Dallas. He left a legacy, and very high bar to achieve for any leader of this organization."

Kunkle's "storied and impactful career" began in 1972 at the Dallas Police Department. He later served as Grand Prairie's police chief before serving as the Arlington police chief from 1985 to 1999. He had a full circle career back to DPD in 2004, and remained there until he retired from the force in 2010.

In 2019, Kunkle publicly revealed that he had been diagnosed Lewy body dementia. In 2021, he donated his police badges to the Arlington Police Museum.

Three years later, in 2022, Kunkle had his last known public appearance during which Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson presented him with one of the first-ever "Mayor's Distinguished Awards." 

"It is with great sadness and profound respect that we join the DFW community in mourning the loss of a remarkable man and public servant," a statement from the Arlington Police Department read. "We were deeply honored when he and his family paid us a visit in 2021 to donate several of his personal items, including his old badges, to the department. These important pieces of APD history will help us keep his story and legacy alive for many years to come."

"There are a handful of people in our community that really should be applauded for what they've done for our city," said former Dallas Mayor Laura Miller. "Chief Kunkle is probably the best police chief that Dallas ever had."

Former Dallas Mayor Tom Leppert commented, "I think indeed, you saw the Dallas Police Department become one of the premier departments in the nation and I think great evidence of that is the number of police chiefs that came out of the Dallas Police Department."

It is an example Chief Garcia says he's learned from. 

"He was ahead of his time in understanding that he didn't operate in the time of crisis," Garcia said. "He knew the things that a police department should do to be more effective. He knew the things that police departments needed to do to be more transparent and work collaboratively with the community...I wish I would've had an opportunity to work under him and know him a little bit better."  

On Friday, flags were lowered at half-staff across the city, and DPD escorted Kunkle to the funeral home. 

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