El Monte Police Chief Ben Lowry dies at 45 of unspecified ‘health issues’
Ben Lowry, who served as a police chief for four of the six years he spent in office, died Tuesday at age 45. Lowry, who served as a police chief for four of the six years he spent in office, died Tuesday at age 45. Photo: Photo Courtesy Photo: Photo Courtesy Image 1 of / 24 Caption Close El Monte Police Chief Ben Lowry dies at 45 of unspecified ‘health issues’ 1 / 24 Back to Gallery
El Monte police chief Ben Lowry died Tuesday at age 45, a family spokesman said.
Lowry, who served as a police chief for four of the six years he spent in office, died from unspecified “health issues,” said Police Chief Rick Pohl, who said he was told Lowry was in the hospital Tuesday.
Lowry, who was described as being a well-respected man by those who worked with him, left behind a wife, a son and a 10-year-old daughter, according to Pohl.
As city manager and police chief, Lowry was credited by fellow officials with having a “very collaborative relationship” with the mayor of Los Angeles, the mayor’s chief of staff and an unnamed city official.
His tenure included major reforms and new practices, such as the development of a new citywide intelligence system.
A police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Lowry was in the hospital about 10 days, and the exact cause of his death was not clear at the time.
Lowry announced his retirement in May, months after the city council voted to approve an $11.5 million settlement for the shooting death of unarmed, black bicyclist Walter Scott.
More Related to Ben Lowry, El Monte Mayor Frank Tran
In 2016 the city paid $5.7 million in damages for failing to properly train its police officers, a decision that was upheld after an appeal in January.
The city council has also approved a lawsuit over wrongful death claims lodged by Scott’s family against three officers forScott’s death.
The Scott shooting was a highly charged case; a black man was killed after being confronted by a white police officer. It led to two other officers being fired, including the former police chief who fired the fatal bullet.
Lowry and Tran, who was then the mayor of El Monte, worked together to address