ATLANTA,None — Louis Graham, a trail blazer in law enforcement and a polarizing political figure, died on Monday, Channel 2 Action News confirmed.
Graham was 71 years old.
Graham joined the Atlanta Police Department in 1964 at a time it was a much different time for black police officers. "We couldn't even arrest white people back then," Graham once told Channel 2.
Graham would rise to lead the Atlanta Police homicide squad, and then become the first African-American officer hired by the Fulton County Police Department.
brightcove.createExperiences();
Graham eventually became the first black Fulton County police chief in 1991, holding that job for eight years before retiring.
After retirement, Graham spent a year as part of Gov. Roy Barnes' staff before taking over as the DeKalb County sheriff's chief deputy. Graham eventually became DeKalb County's police chief in 2004.
Graham left the DeKalb Police Department in 2006 under a cloud of controversy.
Graham resigned just hours after a fired officer released an audiotape of a profanity-laced conversation between Graham and a top assistant.
His biggest case and legacy may be forever linked to the horror of Atlanta's missing children more than 30 years ago.
Graham reopened five cases under the belief that Wayne Williams, convicted of two of the killings and suspected in over 20 more cases, was innocent. Graham took a lot of heat for the decision but stuck to his guns. "I have never believed that he was guilty and I have had so many reasons not to believe that." Graham said.
Graham passed away under the care of a metro Atlanta Hospice facility.