Friday, May 19, 2023

(Washington, DC) – Today, Mayor Muriel Bowser announced that she has named Ashan M. Benedict as the interim Chief of Police at the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Chief Benedict has served as the Executive Assistant Chief of Police at MPD since April 2021 when he was appointed by Chief Contee. As the Executive Officer of the MPD, he has been responsible for managing the day-to-day operations of the department. 

Before joining MPD, Chief Benedict served at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in several major posts, including as the Special Agent in Charge in the Washington, DC Field Division. He began his ATF career in 1998 as a special agent assigned to ATF’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force in Washington, DC. As a street agent, he investigated violent drug trafficking organizations, armed robberies of commercial businesses, armed carjackings, gang-related racketeering murders, and firearms trafficking offenses. 

Chief Benedict was the on-scene Incident Commander for ATF’s deployment at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. He was also involved in ATF’s response and investigation of several notable events and incidents, including the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the Pentagon; the Beltway Sniper investigation; ATF’s response and support to New Orleans, LA after Hurricane Katrina; the Washington, DC Navy Yard active shooter; the San Bernardino, CA mass shooting terrorist attack in December 2015; and the mass mailing of pipe bombs in New York City in October 2018. 

Chief Benedict holds a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting from Fordham University and a Master of Arts degree in International Relations from Syracuse University, Maxwell School in Washington, DC. He is also a graduate of the Asian American Government Executive Network’s Senior Executive Service Development Program. He and his wife have three children and reside in Washington, DC.