Charles Moose

{{Short description|American police officer and writer (1953–2021)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=November 2021}} {{Infobox police officer |image = Charles Moose.jpg |caption = Moose during his tenure as the chief of the Montgomery County Department of Police. |status =  |birth_name = Charles Alexander Moose |birth_date = {{Birth date|1953|8|4}} |death_date = {{death date and age|2021|11|25|1953|8|4}} |badge_number =  |birth_place = New York City, U.S. |death_place = Palm Harbor, Florida, U.S. |allegiance = {{air force|United States|size=23px}} |nickname =  |department = {{Flagicon image|Flag of Montgomery County, Maryland.svg|size=23px}} Montgomery County Police |service = {{flagu|United States|1960|size=23px}} |service_years = * PPB: 1975–1999 * MCP: 1999–2003 * USAF: 2000–2005 * HPD: 2006–2008 |rank = 25px Chief of Police (1993–2003) |awards =  |alma_mater = University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (BA)<br />Portland State University (MPA, PhD) |spouse = Sandra "Sandy" Herman-Moose<ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t7sSzi4c_Fc&list=PLOYjsh73gPKRoMOpdsZwLm_ny3cNyoSgy&index=21|title=Call Me God - Episode 6 | Three Weeks Of Hell: The DC Snipers Podcast|via=www.youtube.com}}</ref> |other_work = {{nobr|{{Flagicon image|Flag of Honolulu, Hawaii.svg|size=23px}} Honolulu Police Department}}<br>{{Flagicon image|Flag of Portland, Oregon.svg|size=23px}} Portland Police Bureau }}

'''Charles Alexander Moose''' (August 4, 1953 – November 25, 2021) was an American author and police officer. He was the primary official in charge of efforts to apprehend the D.C. snipers in October 2002. During his law enforcement career, Moose served as the chief of police for Montgomery County, Maryland, and Portland, Oregon.

==Early life and education== Moose was born in New York City on August 4, 1953.<ref name="moosebio">{{cite web |title=Charles Moose: Information from Answers.com |url=http://www.answers.com/topic/charles-moose |website=Answers.com |access-date=June 9, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070419201250/http://www.answers.com/topic/charles-moose |archive-date=April 19, 2007}}</ref> His family moved to Lexington, North Carolina, shortly after he was born, and Moose lived and attended school there until leaving for college.<ref>{{cite book|last=Moose|first=Charles|author2=Charles Fleming|author-link2=Charles Fleming (author)|title=Three Weeks in October: The Manhunt for the Serial Sniper|date=September 15, 2003|publisher=Penguin Group (USA)|isbn=0-451-21279-7|page=[https://archive.org/details/threeweeksinocto00char/page/370 370]}}</ref> When he was sixteen 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.<ref name="moosebio" /><ref name="pr">{{cite press release |url=http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mc/news/press/99-275.html |title=Charles Moose sworn in as 15th Montgomery County police chief |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110927020923/http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/mc/news/press/99-275.html |archive-date=September 27, 2011 |date=August 2, 1999 |publisher=Montgomery County (MD) Government |access-date=June 9, 2007}}</ref> That year he joined the Portland Police Bureau in Portland, Oregon, as a patrolman.<ref name="pr" /> 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.<ref name="wash-post-obit">{{cite news |last1=Schudel |first1=Matt |last2=Davies |first2=Emily |last3=Hermann |first3=Peter |title=Charles Moose, Montgomery County police chief during 2002 D.C. sniper attacks, dies at 68 |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2021/11/26/charles-moose-dead/ |access-date=November 27, 2021 |newspaper=The Washington Post |date=November 26, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127081513/https://www.washingtonpost.com/obituaries/2021/11/26/charles-moose-dead/ |archive-date=November 27, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Career== {{multiple image |direction=vertical |width=250 |image1=LTC Charles Moose leading airmen in parade in Hawaii.png |image2=LTC Charles Moose leading airmen in a Hawaiian parade.png |footer=Moose leading airmen in a Hawaiian parade as a squadron commander}} ===Police executive=== 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.<ref name="pr" /> During his time in Portland he also taught at Portland State University and was a member of the Oregon Air National Guard.<ref name="pr" /> He had previously applied for a chief's position with the police force in Jackson, Mississippi.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wweek.com/news/2021/11/27/from-the-archives-guess-whos-coming-to-power/|title=From the Archives: Guess Who's Coming to Power|date=November 28, 2021|website=Willamette Week}}</ref> On August 2, 1999, he became the 15th Chief of the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland, being hired by County Executive Doug Duncan. In October 2002, he was the primary official in charge of the efforts to apprehend those responsible for the D.C. 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.<ref>{{cite news |last=Manning |first=Stephen |title=Maryland Chief Who Led Sniper Probe Quits |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=Q55GAAAAIBAJ&pg=6209,3633395 |work=The Day |agency=Associated Press |location=New London, Connecticut |date=June 19, 2003 |access-date=January 15, 2014}}</ref> The book was released in September 2003 and is titled ''Three Weeks in October: The Manhunt for the Serial Sniper''.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Fleming|first1=Charles|last2=Moose|first2=Charles A.|url=https://archive.org/details/threeweeksinocto00moos|date=September 15, 2003|title=Three Weeks in October: The Manhunt for the Serial Sniper|publisher=E.P. Dutton|location=New York City|isbn=9780525947776|oclc=52547597|access-date=January 15, 2014|url-access=registration}}</ref> 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."<ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3099 |title=The Moose is On Fire |first=Michelle |last=Malkin |magazine=Capitalism Magazine |date=September 11, 2001 |access-date=August 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100130231747/http://capmag.com/article.asp?ID=3099 |archive-date=January 30, 2010 |url-status=dead}}</ref> After his death, County Executive Doug Duncan defended Moose's actions, saying he got a "raw deal."<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.marylandmatters.org/2021/11/26/former-montgomery-county-police-chief-who-was-public-face-of-beltway-sniper-investigation-dies-at-68/|title=Former Montgomery County Police Chief Who Was Public Face of Beltway Sniper Investigation Dies at 68|first=WTOP|last=News|date=November 27, 2021}}</ref>

===Later work=== Until 2005, Moose served as the Squadron Commander of the 113th Security Forces Squadron, D.C. Air National Guard, United States Air Force. While Moose served with that unit, he deployed to Operation Katrina and served as military liaison and adviser to the New Orleans Police Department in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Moose was promoted to lieutenant colonel after arriving in Hawaii and served as the 154th Security Forces Commander there.

Moose later graduated from the Honolulu Police Academy<ref>{{cite news |first=Neal |last=Augenstein |url=http://wtop.com/index.php?sid=780991&nid=25&top5=1 |title=Sniper-Era Chief Training as Honolulu Street Officer |work=WTOP-FM |date=April 3, 2006 |access-date=June 13, 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070505024301/http://wtop.com/index.php?sid=780991&nid=25&top5=1 |archive-date=May 5, 2007}}</ref> and reported for duty as one of the members of the Honolulu Police Department.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://wjz.com/local/local_story_314145111.html |title=Chief Moose now Hawaii Police Officer |access-date=December 12, 2006 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070510005033/http://wjz.com/local/local_story_314145111.html |archive-date=May 10, 2007 |work=WJZ 13 Eyewitness News |date=November 10, 2006}}</ref> On August 4, 2010, ''The Gazette'' reported that Moose was no longer employed at the department,<ref>{{cite news |first=Erin |last=Cunningham |url=http://www.gazette.net/stories/08042010/olnenew232714_32534.php |title=County police reopen investigation into Beltway snipers |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924040509/http://www.gazette.net/stories/08042010/olnenew232714_32534.php |archive-date=September 24, 2015 |newspaper=The Gazette |date=August 4, 2010 |access-date=August 5, 2010}}</ref> having left in 2008.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hawaiinewsnow.com/2021/11/27/chief-who-helped-catch-beltway-snipers-before-moving-hawaii-serve-with-hpd-dies-68/|title=Chief who helped catch 'Beltway Snipers,' served with HPD dies at 68|first=H. N. N.|last=Staff|date=November 27, 2021|website=Hawaii News Now}}</ref>

As of September 2012, Moose was retired and living in Tampa, Florida.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19571019/sniper-probe-police-chief-returns-for-anniversary |work=MyFoxDC |last=Wagner |first=Paul |title=As 10-year anniversary approaches, former Chief Charles Moose discusses sniper investigation |date=September 18, 2012 |access-date=November 15, 2014 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141115215417/http://www.myfoxdc.com/story/19571019/sniper-probe-police-chief-returns-for-anniversary |archive-date=November 15, 2014}}</ref> He applied with the Portland Bureau of Police for the position of chief but was denied.<ref name="auto"/>

==Death== Moose died at his home in Palm Harbor, Florida, on November 25, 2021, at age 68 while watching a football game on TV.<ref name="wash-post-obit" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Lewis |first1=Kevin |title=Charles Moose, former Montgomery County Police chief at helm during DC snipers, dies at 68 |url=https://wjla.com/news/local/charles-moose-former-montgomery-county-police-chief-at-helm-during-dc-snipers-dies-at-68 |publisher=WJLA |access-date=November 26, 2021 |date=November 25, 2021}}</ref>

==In popular culture== *Moose is portrayed by Charles S. Dutton in the 2003 T.V. film ''D.C. Sniper: 23 Days of Fear''.

==Bibliography== *{{cite book|last1=Fleming|first1=Charles|last2=Moose|first2=Charles A.|url=https://archive.org/details/threeweeksinocto00moos|date=September 15, 2003|title=Three Weeks in October: The Manhunt for the Serial Sniper|publisher=E.P. Dutton|location=New York City|isbn=9780525947776|oclc=52547597|access-date=January 15, 2014|url-access=registration}}

==References== {{Reflist}}

==External links== {{Wikiquote|Charles Moose}} *{{C-SPAN}} {{s-start}} {{s-civ|pol}} {{s-bef|before=Thomas Evans}} {{s-ttl|title=Chief of the Montgomery County Department of Police|years=August 2, 1999 – June 2003}} {{s-aft|after=William C. "Bill" O'Toole {{small|(acting)}}}} {{s-end}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Moose, Charles Alexander}} Category:1953 births Category:2021 deaths Category:20th-century African-American people Category:21st-century African-American writers Category:21st-century American male writers Category:21st-century American non-fiction writers Category:African-American police officers Category:Chiefs of the Portland Police Bureau Category:Law enforcement officials from Maryland Category:Law enforcement officials from Portland, Oregon Category:Oregon National Guard personnel Category:Chiefs of the Montgomery County Police Department Category:Writers from Tampa, Florida Category:Portland State University alumni Category:Portland State University faculty Category:United States Air Force officers Category:University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill alumni Category:Writers from Honolulu Category:Writers from New York City Category:African-American male writers