WASHINGTON (DC News Now) — Mayor Muriel Bowser said Executive Assistant Chief of Police Ashan Benedict will serve as Interim Chief of Police when Robert Contee III retires.

Contee, who announced his retirement from MPD after 30 years in April, accepted a position with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Contee appointed Benedict to the executive assistant chief position in 2021. In that role, Benedict has had the responsibility of managing the department’s day-to-day operations.

Prior to joining the Metropolitan Police Department, Benedict held several positions at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF). He served as the ATF’s on-scene incident commander when the attack on the U.S. Capitol took place on Jan. 6, 2021. He was part of the response to many other major events and incidents, including the terrorist attack on the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, the Beltway Sniper investigation, and the shooting at the D.C. Navy Yard in 2013.

Benedict and his wife have three children.