First Asian American to lead Los Angeles Police Department is appointed interim chief

LOS ANGELES (AP) — An Asian American assistant chief was named interim chief of the Los Angeles Police Department on Wednesday, taking charge of a force that mostly has been led by white men.

Assistant Chief Dominic H. Choi was unanimously appointed Wednesday by the civilian Board of Police Commissioners, the mayor’s office announced in a news release. Choi, the son of Korean immigrants, will be the first Asian American to head the agency when he begins his role on March 1.

The appointment follows the surprise retirement of Chief Michel Moore, whose tenure was marked by greater scrutiny into excessive force and police killings of civilians in the nation’s second-largest city.

Choi will be the interim chief as the mayor and police commission search for a permanent replacement — among the LAPD’s ranks and nationwide — to head up the department of nearly 9,000 officers during the 2026 World Cup and the 2028 Olympics. Moore will stay on as a consultant for an unspecified period of time.

Choi started his policing career in 1995. His roles in the department have included serving as the agency’s homeless coordinator.