In Memoriam: Police Chief Luther Reynolds
Wed, 05/24/2023 - 9:31am
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Police Chief Luther Reynolds passed away Monday evening, May 22 at 8:10 p.m. after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Chief Reynolds was in a hospice center and with his wife, Caroline, and his two children, Luke and Grace, by his side at the time.
Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg expressed, “Tonight, Charleston has lost not just a great police chief, but one of the finest human beings that many of us will ever know. Luther Reynolds was a modern man of ancient virtues: faith, honor, courage, duty. But most of all, and
at his very core, Luther was a man of love. He loved his family, his friends, his life. He loved this city and the brave men and women who keep it safe. He loved God, and in faithful service, he loved his neighbor. Over the coming days, we will mourn Luther Reynolds, for we
loved him as much as he loved us. But even today, as our hearts are breaking, we can take solace in knowing that with Luther’s final journey now complete, his weary days of pain have passed, and his timeless days of peace have just begun.”
Below is the full letter that Chief Reynolds shared with the community when he entered hospice last week:
A Letter from Chief Reynolds
Fellow Charlestonians,
After speaking with my doctors and praying for God’s guidance and grace, Caroline and I have decided that the time has come for me to end my cancer treatments and enter hospice care.
Such decisions are never easy, of course – not for our family, and not for all the other families in our community who have to face them every day. It is our hope that by sharing this news publicly, we can also share with these other families some small measure of the love and
support we’ve received over the past two years. We want them to know that in these difficult moments, they are not alone, and that our larger Charleston family prays for them as well.
In closing, I’d like to thank you, our citizens, for giving me the opportunity to serve as your police chief. Five years ago, you welcomed me and my family into this remarkable city, and with your support, we have built an even better, even stronger police department. I cannot tell
you how proud I am of the men and women of CPD, and how honored I am to have led them.
Now, as I set out on the final journey that God has planned for me, I’m thankful that I will be able to spend these days in the city I’ve come to love, surrounded by family and friends. It is the last great gift in a life that’s been full of them.
Thank you, and God bless.
Luther Reynolds
Charleston Police Chief