Johannes Spreen who took over as chief of the Detroit Police Department in 1968 -- in one of the most troubling times in the city's history -- has died, the Detroit Free Press reports. He was 93.
The Free Press reports that Spreen, who later went on to become Oakland County Sheriff, died on Oct. 5 of natural causes at his home in Marine City.
He was born in Germany and moved to New York with his parents at age 4. He went on to become a New York cop.
In 1968, the year after the riots, Detroit Mayor Jerome Cavanagh hired him for the post then called police commissioner. One of his notable moves was to introduce motor scooters to the department.
Mayor Roman Gribbs replaced him in 1970. In 1972, he was elected Oakland County Sheriff, a job he held until 1984.
