Los Angeles County Sheriff Lee Baca announced his retirement Tuesday morning, a month after prosecutors filed charges against 18 of his current and former deputies.
Baca’s intention to retire was reported by the L.A. Times, which said he “told top officials in county government late Monday that he believes stepping down would help the department recover after several years of tumult and criticism,”
According to NBC News’ Andrew Blankstein, at a press conference Tuesday, Baca said his reasons for retiring were “most personal and private” and also related to a “negative perception” about the sheriff’s department stemming from his re-election campaign.
Baca’s resignation is set to take place at the end of January.
