FLAGLER COUNTY, Fla. - A man who once made national news for becoming the youngest police chief in the nation's history has died, officials said.
Donald "Donnie" Brock died Monday evening with family by his side, police said in a Facebook post. A cause of death was not immediately released.
In 1974, one month after his 19th birthday, Brock was appointed Chief of Police at the Bunnell Police Department, authorities said.
Brock eventually transitioned to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office as a deputy and later became a member of the Ormond Beach Police Department, dedicating the next 26 years of service until his initial retirement in 2012.
(Photo via St. Augustine Police Department)
He later returned to the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office after just one year of retirement to become a judicial officer. He served in that capacity for five more years before retiring again in 2018.
In total, he served 45 years in law enforcement.
"Donnie was a giant of a man both in spirit and stature. A faithful servant to the community, family and his faith," Anthony W. Cuthbert, the assistant chief of the St. Augustine Police Department, said in a statement. "As a pillar in the law enforcement community, he will be deeply missed."