TYLER, Texas — Tyler’s chief of police remembers the department’s first two Black officers as people whose work came at a challenging time but that made a lasting change for the better in the city.
As Black History Month began, the Tyler Police Department acknowledged Ira Brown and Willie Johnson — its first two officers of color — and their contributions to the community, and Chief Jimmy Toler said this past week that the officers’ impact remains.
“It would be very difficult to measure the impact that these officers had on the department and the city,” Toler said Friday. “Ira Brown and Willie Johnson became Tyler police officers during a difficult time in our country. They worked hard and made a positive impact to the city. Of course, there were difficult times but they persevered and the city of Tyler is better for it. They had long and successful careers with Tyler PD.”
Read more from our CBS19 paper partner, Tyler Morning Telegraph.
