Ex-LAPD Chief Willie Williams Dies At 72

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com) — Former Los Angeles Police Department Chief Willie Williams has died at age 72, authorities said Wednesday.

Williams served as chief of the department from June 30, 1992, to May 17, 1997.

He became the city's top cop -- and first black chief -- following the resignation of Chief Daryl Gates in the aftermath of the 1992 Los Angeles riots.

He also became the first black police commissioner in the city of Philadelphia in 1988.

Following his sting as LAPD chief, Williams was appointed federal security director for Hartsfield Atlanta International Airport in Atlanta in 2002.

(©2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)