CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — UPDATE: 6 p.m. March 31
Assistant police chief David Blackmon has been appointed interim police chief, to replace Corpus Christi Police Chief Mike Markle.
Blackmon will take over the position effective May 3.
He has been with the department for 32 years. Before serving as assistant chief, he was the operations commander of the department.
He joined the Corpus Christi Police Department in 1989 and has 11 years of experience in leadership roles. His previous leadership roles included serving as a Field Training Officer, Lieutenant of the Narcotics Investigations Division, Captain over the Code Enforcement Division, and Deputy Chief over the Operations Division.
Blackmon was promoted to the rank of Assistant Chief of Police in April 2018 and currently oversees the Operations Division, the Criminal Investigations Division, and the Animal Care Services Division.
Blackmon is a veteran of the United States Army. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Saint Leo University and a Master of Criminal Justice degree from Lamar University. Additionally, he is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF) and a member of the Texas Police Chiefs Association.
Markle announced his retirement Monday after serving the city for 31 years.
Markle will be retiring in May after accepting a job in the private sector.
Markle will spend the next month working with city leaders and the command staff to ensure a smooth transition with the interim chief.
The chief's last day with the city will be May 2.
Before becoming chief, Markle served as assistant police chief. He was appointed as interim chief after the death of former Police Chief Floyd Simpson.
