The man who headed up the police response to Seattle's May Day protests is hanging up his gun and badge.
Deputy Chief Chris Fowler, a 26-year veteran with Seattle Police, announced Thursday he is retiring from the department.
"It's rare when you can go through an entire career with no regrets," said Fowler. "There is always things you can do differently or decisions you can make different, but at the end of the day when you take stock, I have no regrets on choosing this career, this calling."
Before then-interim Chief Carmen Best promoted him to her number two in command, Fowler headed up the Seattle Police Operations Center (SPOC), including managing the planned and unplanned events and protests across the city.
Under Fowler's leadership, SPD developed its use of certain tactics, from bicycles to blast balls, for crowd control during the city's annual May Day protests. He's acknowledged the struggle to maintain peace, protect First Amendment rights, and corral the flow of traffic during the various 300 protests Seattle sees each year.
WATCH: What is May Day?
Though he’s retiring from the force, he's not leaving law enforcement altogether. Fowler has accepted a position as deputy director at the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission under Director Sue Rahr.
Fowler retired as a brigadier general with the Washington Army National Guard earlier this year after completing 31 years of service, including two tours in Iraq.
He was commended for his de-escalation efforts in a high-profile police shooting involving David John Walker, a mentally ill man, in 2000. Walker, armed with a knife, was shot and killed by SPD as he skipped down the street. The department was criticized for its use of excessive force.
Fowler said the Walker shooting stuck with him.
"As a police officer, you can go from a completely innocuous event within a matter of seconds into being an life altering situation," said Fowler. "Finally, I realized no matter what you can do related to de-escalation or crisis intervention, sometimes it doesn't work."
Fowler's last day with SPD is September 30.
Asked if he will miss May Day, he chuckled.
"No, I won't miss any of it," he said. "I think after five or six years it's worked it's way out of my system."
Assume Chief Marc Garth Green will take over Fowler's role as Deputy Chief, according to Seattle Police. Acting Assistant Chief Steve Hirjak will lead the department's May Day operations.
