Photographer: WXYZ
Posted: 07/21/2010
DETROIT (WXYZ) - Detroit Police Chief Warren Evans may have been brought down in part by his own love of the cameras. His resignation comes after Action News obtained a video showcasing Evans in his roll as head of the Detroit Police Department.
In what appears to be a pitch for a reality TV show called "The Chief," Detroit's former top cop talks tough to the camera as he hits the city's gritty streets. Action News was told the six minute video had gotten him in trouble with his boss.
It's a fast-paced promo that shows Evans bringing down the bad guys and narrating with his own brand of no-nonsense talk. The chief is shown in SWAT gear, flanked by his mobile strike force team. At several points, the heavily armed Evans poses in front of the old Michigan Central Station.
The video clip portrays Evans out on the streets, responding to calls with his department's officers in a way you wouldn't expect from the top cop. He rushes to scenes, bangs on doors and gets into it with suspected drug dealers.
The video shows Evans out in Detroit's icy-cold winter, before questions arose about police involvement with television and film crews.
Detroit Mayor Dave Bing banned A&E's "The First 48" from shadowing Detroit officers following the fatal shooting of 7-year-old Aiyanna Jones in May. It was Evans who renewed the contract for the reality show that appears on A&E without Bing's approval.
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