Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham died Sunday morning when the small plane he was piloting crashed into an open field
A Florida police chief died Sunday morning when the plane he was piloting crashed into an open field, authorities said.
Ocala Mayor Kent Guinn confirmed the death of Ocala Police Chief Greg Graham.
Marion County Fire Rescue said the plane crashed around 11.30am Sunday in an open field, not far from the Marion County Airport in Dunnellon, Florida.
Graham was the only person on board his personal aircraft.
A Marion County Sheriff´s Office spokesperson said no one else was injured during the incident.
The National Transportation Safety Board said in a tweet that it was investigating the Sunday crash of a Cessna C172 in Dunnellon.
Guinn said Graham was 'fascinated' with flying and had recently received his pilot´s license.
'It´s hard to believe,' Guinn said.
During a press conference announcing the death, visibly emotional Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods, who had worked with Graham for 30 years, said that his friend had enjoyed flying planes.
'It was a passion of his along with jumping out of planes, parachuting,' Woods said of Graham, according to WFTV. 'He left doing something that he enjoyed and is with the good Lord now.'
Graham became chief in January 2012, after having worked his way up through the ranks, beginning in the 1980s.
Graham's plane is seen in the field where it crash landed at about 11.30am near the Marion County Airport in Dunnellon, Florida
The NTSB said that it was investigating the plane crash. Graham was said to have been the only person inside the plane and that nobody else had been injured during the crash
He was placed on paid administrative leave after being accused of racial discrimination, sexual harassment, hostile treatment and retaliation against three officers in 2016, but was reinstated and cleared the following year after a city-hired law firm recommended he be reinstated with all rights and benefits.
In 2018, under guidance from Graham, the Ocala mayor and community members, the police department started a special Heroin/Opioid Amnesty Program, which allowed anyone experiencing a drug addiction problem to get help without judgement or penalties.
At the time, it was reported Graham had said the goal is to get those who need help the assistance they need because the agency will never be able to 'arrest our way out of this crisis.'
Recently, Graham was on a vocal presence in Ocala during the Black Lives Matter protests after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
He condemned Floyd's killing and told the crowd they could contact him personally 'if they believe one of his officers has done anything wrong,' The Ocala Star-Banner reported.
Graham is pictured with his firefighter-paramedic daughter, Kalin , during a day when he was visiting Palm Coast Professional Firefighters Local 4807
Graham (right, with Kalin) had spent a day working a shif with the fire department in 2019
Guinn said Ocala Deputy Chief Mike Balken will be named interim police chief.
'Ocala-Marion County lost one of the greatest lawmen I've ever known today,' Balken said during a press conference, according to Fox 51.
Graham 'was a true mentor, a true leader. He was a forward thinking professional that was one of the greatest friends I've ever had in my life and has done tremendous things for this community.'
Balken added that 'we are really reeling at the Ocala Police Department.'
'(Graham's) leadership was responsible for changing the direction of the department,' Guinn said. 'I couldn't have asked for anybody better.'
Members of the first responder community took to social media with memorial messages for Graham, sending their thoughts and prayers to his family.
Among them, was Palm Coast Professional Firefighters Local 4807, which shared pictures of Graham and his firefighter-paramedic daughter, Kalin.
'Our hearts are heavy to learn of the untimely passing of Ocala Police Department Chief Greg Graham,' the Palm Coast Professional Firefighters Local 4807 wrote on Facebook.
'Chief Graham was a friend of our Fire Department, proud family member of the Palm Coast Fire Family, a dedicated public servant, a loving husband & father.
'Chief Graham, was the father of our Sister Kalin. Last year he came to spend a shift with us in which he got to ride on the big red fire truck; something he always wanted to do. The time he spent was us was an amazing memory. Our hearts are full of sorrow for the Graham family; please keep them in your thoughts & prayers during this trying time,' the firefighters wrote.