RIP Chief
Former Dallas Police chief David Kunkle dies at age 72
David Kunkle, who served as Chief of the Dallas Police Department and ran for mayor Dallas, has died; he was 72.
According to NBC DFW, his death took place on the morning of July 14, and was confirmed by family members.
In 2019, Kunkle and his wife Sarah Dodd revealed that he was diagnosed with Lewy body dementia, a brain disease.
Kunkle was a longtime and highly respected law enforcement officer who held the distinction of serving as chief of police in three North Texas cities: Grand Prairie, Arlington, and Dallas.
He started out with the Dallas Police Department in 1972, and became the youngest captain in the history of the department.
He first became a chief in Grand Prairie, then Arlington, where he was chief from 1985 to 1999. He became Dallas' chief of police in 2004 until he retired in 2010.
In 2011, he ran for mayor of Dallas, but lost to Mike Rawlings.
Current Dallas Police Department chief Eddie Garcia responded to Kunkle's passing with a statement that said, "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."