Former San Francisco Police Commissioner Julius Turman has died, the police department announced Sunday afternoon.
News outlets reported that Turman, 52, was found dead inside his home.
Turman, a gay man, joined the police oversight panel in 2012. He became vice president in 2014 and served as president in 2016. He had recently resigned from the commission.
"Throughout his tenure and in collaboration with community members and department stakeholders, Commissioner Turman and his fellow commissioners worked diligently to strengthen relations between the SFPD and the public, revise and adopt Department General Orders governing department operations, and implement recommendations by the U.S. Department of Justice COPS Office," SFPD stated in a news release. "He served his final day as commission president and member on May 4."
"Commissioner Turman was a tremendously intelligent and compassionate man who cared deeply about this department," said San Francisco Police Chief William Scott in the release. "He worked to help us increase trust and respect and was relentlessly focused on bringing forth the best practices, policies and procedures to the San Francisco Police Department. We are grateful for his dedication and hard work and we extend our deepest condolences to his family."
Mayor Mark Farrell also issued a news release Sunday.
"Julius was a civic leader, proud defender of human rights, and a fierce advocate for equality and justice," Farrell stated. "He displayed great leadership working with his fellow commissioners to ensure that critical reforms were instituted at the San Francisco Police Department. Julius always spoke forcefully, yet truly, and he gained the well-earned respect of his colleagues and peers for his clear passion and dedication to serving the people of this city.
"I am profoundly saddened by his passing. My deepest sympathies and condolences are with his family and friends at this time," the mayor added.
The Bay Area Reporter will have more on this story in Thursday's paper.