Alexandria police chief to retire in October

ALEXANDRIA, Va. (AP) -- Alexandria's police chief is retiring this fall.

The city said in a statement Friday that Police Chief Earl L. Cook will retire on Oct. 1.

Cook became the first African American to serve as chief of police in Alexandria when he took the job in 2009. He began as a police academy recruit in January 1979 and worked his way up the ranks over the years.

The city says it has asked the International Association of Chiefs of Police to help find Cook's successor.

Cook says his retirement is "bittersweet." He says it has been an "incredible honor" to serve Alexandria, where he was born and raised.