Announcement: Charles A. Moose passes away at 68
Charles Moose is a Lexington legend and best known, internationally, for his role as being the primary official in charge of the efforts to apprehend the D.C. snipers in October 2002. {Contributed photo: commons.wikimedia.org}
Lexington native Charles Moose, who was the former chief of the Montgomery County Police Department has passed away at the age of 68. According to Washington post Charles was announced dead on Thanksgiving day, Thursday, November, 25, 2021. Moose’s wife, Sandy made the announcement in a Facebook post on Thanksgiving evening. Charles emerged as a regional leader during the D.C. area sniper attacks. Charles’ son, David Moose, described his father as a great dad while confirming his death.
Moose was born in New York City on August 4, 1953, and grew up in North Carolina. His family moved to Lexington, North Carolina, shortly after he was born, and Moose lived and attended school there until leaving for college. When he was 16 years old, his mother died, and his father died when Moose was in his early twenties. Moose completed his Bachelor of Arts degree in U.S. History in 1975 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. That year he joined the Portland Police Bureau in Portland, Oregon, as a patrol officer.He then earned a Master of Public Administration degree from Portland State University in 1984, and a PhD in urban studies and criminology in 1993.
Career
In 1993, Moose became the police chief of the Portland Police Bureau and served as the top law enforcement official for the city until 1999. During his time in Portland he also taught at Portland State University and was a member of the Oregon Air National Guard. On August 2, 1999, he became the 15th Chief of the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland.
In October 2002, he was the primary official in charge of the efforts to apprehend those responsible for the Beltway sniper attacks. In June 2003, Moose resigned after a disagreement with Montgomery County regarding a policy that barred him from working on a book and consulting on a movie about the sniper investigation. The book was released in September 2003 and is titled Three Weeks in October: The Manhunt for the Serial Sniper.
Before the trial, however, Chief Moose engaged in a publicity tour for his book on the sniper investigation, which jeopardized the prosecution. The tour included appearances on Dateline NBC, the Today show, and The Tonight Show. Assistant Prince William County Commonwealth's Attorney James Willett told The Washington Post, "Personally, I don't understand why someone who's been in law enforcement his whole life would potentially damage our case or compromise a jury pool by doing this."
Montgomery police in a statement expressed its gratitude for his years of service. “He was a great leader and led our department through the DC Sniper investigation, one of the most difficult crime sprees in our country’s history,” the department said in the statement. “We send condolences to his wife Sandy and all of his family and friends” The statement further reads. Moose was at the police force when series of shootings rocked the Washington region in October 2002 and the highest number of murders concentrated in Montgomery County.
The attack eventually killed 10 people going about their normal daily activities leaving the Washington region was paralyzed with fear. Children stayed home, eventually sporting events cancelled and children stayed home. Residents hid themselves as they refueled their cars at gas stations. Moose was well known for his sympathetic role in the incident ranging from him . He wept on camera as he announced that a 13-year-old was wounded on his way to school. His team eventually apprehended the snipers and ended the terror on October 24. The snipers were John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo. Charles Moose obituary and funeral will be announced by the family.
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