BOISE, Idaho — This story originally appeared in the Idaho Press.
The Baltimore Police Department has announced the appointment of former Boise Police Chief Ryan Lee to their ranks.
A Wednesday press release announced Lee will be starting a new role as the Baltimore Police Department’s chief of detectives, making him part of one of the largest police departments in the nation. Lee comes to the department following a 20-year tenure with the Portland Police Bureau and a two-year stint as chief of police of the Boise Police Department. He resigned at the request of Mayor Lauren McLean in the fall of 2022 following a tumultuous series of reports, accusations and investigations coming out of the BPD.
“Chief Ryan Lee is an experienced leader, and we are grateful to have him serve with the Baltimore Police Department and City of Baltimore,” Richard Worley, Baltimore Police Commissioner, said in the release. “He brings significant and relevant experience to addressing the challenges in policing. Lee will be taking on a critical role for the department, as we continue to drive historic reductions in violent crime and rebuild trust with the communities we serve.”
Lee was appointed to his role following a four-month hiring process. Lee’s experience in “community policing, fostering partnerships, and developing programs to strengthen trust and collaboration between police and the communities they serve” were cited as factors contributing to his being selected, the release said.
“My wife and I moved to Baltimore just under a year ago and fell in love with the diverse and vibrant communities, and rich history,” Lee said in the release. “I am deeply humbled and honored to have the opportunity to serve the City of Baltimore and work alongside the dedicated men and women of the BPD.”
Lee — who is currently serving in a professional role in the agency — will be sworn in as a colonel after completing Maryland Police Training Commission certification requirements, the release said.
LEE’S HISTORY AT BPD
McLean hired Lee as Boise’s chief of police in July 2020. A year into his tenure, Lee would face scrutiny after injuring an officer during a training demonstration.
The incident took place during a training briefing in the fall of 2021, where Lee demonstrated a vascular neck restraint — a technique banned by the department following the murder of George Floyd — on Boise Police Sgt. Kirk Rush, a 20-year veteran of the department. Rush’s injury suffered during the incident required surgery to repair discs in his neck, as previously reported by the Idaho Press.
In August 2022, a monthslong investigation by Idaho State Police and the Clearwater County Prosecutor’s Office did not result in any charges against Lee. The Idaho Press was previously told that the city did not see reason to take action against Lee during the investigation.
A KTVB report covering complaints from nine officers in the spring of 2022 — who alleged Lee engaged in verbal abuse — was released in September of that year. Though Lee was never suspended from the department, a leaked memo from the city’s Office of Police Accountability stated that Lee should be suspended without pay while complaints were investigated.
The mayor’s office announced Lee’s resignation at McLean’s request a day after the report’s publication, on Sept. 23, 2022, as previously reported by the Idaho Press.
Lee filed suit against Rush in October 2023 after his ousting and in light of a law firm’s investigation into racism within the department that discovered a campaign to remove Lee, who is Asian American. The investigation centered on Capt. Matthew Bryngelson following revelations he was slated to speak at a white nationalist conference.
Bryngelson, who served the Boise Police Department for more than two decades, retired in 2022 citing Lee’s leadership and had previously been cited in KTVB’s report that prompted Lee’s resignation.
Lee’s lawsuit was dismissed in November 2023 and the city settled a misconduct lawsuit with Rush in September for $850,000.
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