A Black woman will for the first time lead Kentucky's Louisville Metro Police Department, reports the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Mayor Greg Fischer announced the appointment of former Louisville Metro Policy Deputy Chief Yvette Gentry on Monday after more than 100 days of protest over racial injustice in the wake of the March 13 shooting of Breonna Taylor by police.
"Yvette brings the kind of unique experience and strong community relationships needed to lead LMPD until a permanent chief is in place, and she is passionate about working to help her city reimagine public safety and address systemic racism," Mayor Greg Fischer said in a press release.
In an emotional speech, Gentry spoke to "all of you that urged me to take this position and try to move the needle."
She also reached out to West End residents who have been at the heart of the protests.
"I'm not here just to help you unboard your beautiful buildings downtown," she said. "I'm here to work with you to unboard the community that I served with all my heart in west Louisville, that was boarded for 20 or 30 years."
Gentry replaces current Interim Chief Robert Schroeder, who is retiring Oct. 1 after serving only three months in the role. She will be the first African American woman to serve as Louisville's police chief, even on an interim basis.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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