TITUSVILLE, Fla. The Titusville Police Department has a permanent chief again. The department announced Thursday that Tyler “TJ” Wright, who has led the agency on an interim basis since June, has been appointed Chief of Police, closing out a leadership search that began after former Chief John Lau was fired following a rollover crash in his city-owned police vehicle.
Wright brings nearly 20 years of law enforcement experience, all of it with the Titusville Police Department, where he has served in a range of roles before rising to deputy chief. According to the department, he is a graduate of the FBI National Academy, has completed multiple leadership and professional development programs, and holds a master’s degree in public safety from the University of Virginia.
“I am truly honored and privileged to have the opportunity to lead the Titusville Police Department into its next chapter,” Wright said in the department’s announcement. “The strength of our department is rooted not only in the dedication of our personnel but also in the trust and support of the community we serve. Together, we look forward to advancing our mission, embracing new opportunities, strengthening our partnerships, and continuing to make Titusville a safe and welcoming place to live, work, and visit.”
The department said that under Wright’s leadership it will focus on investing in personnel, strengthening community partnerships, and advancing a culture of accountability, transparency, integrity and innovation.
A competitive search
The city opened the chief’s position on Sept. 1 with a salary range of $102,128 to $168,542 and accepted applications through Oct. 1. Titusville later named four finalists: Henry Joseph Giammarco, police chief in Yeadon, Pennsylvania; Jamie L. Kurnick, a police major in Gainesville; William R. Nas, police chief in Surf City, North Carolina; and Wright. Residents were invited to meet the candidates at an informal event at City Hall.
Why the last chief was fired
Wright inherited the department under difficult circumstances. Around 11:15 p.m. on June 23, then-Chief John Lau was driving an unmarked Titusville Police Department Chevrolet Tahoe near River Oaks Drive and Barna Avenue, just outside city limits, when the SUV left the road and rolled multiple times. Responding officers found the vehicle on its side with Lau still in the driver’s seat, and he had to be extricated.
Titusville officers reported finding a bottle of Ketel One vodka with roughly a quarter of its contents missing, along with a metal cup that smelled of alcohol, Lau’s two cell phones and his gun. Officers’ reports also noted slightly slurred speech and bloodshot eyes.
Because the crash involved their own chief, Titusville police turned the investigation over to the Florida Highway Patrol. It took more than an hour for a trooper to arrive, and by then Lau had already been taken to the hospital. Wright, then deputy chief, ordered a commander to the hospital to request that Lau submit to breath or blood alcohol testing. Lau refused both tests, a violation of city personnel policy.
After Lau was discharged from the hospital the next day, he met with City Manager Thomas Abbate and was fired. Wright was named interim chief. At the time, Wright called the crash “an extremely unfortunate and avoidable incident” and said it did not reflect the values of the department or the men and women who serve the city.
No criminal charges, one citation stands
FHP said troopers did not observe indicators of impairment and did not open a DUI investigation. About a month after the crash, FHP cited Lau for careless driving and later issued a second citation for an open container of alcohol, each carrying a $169 fine. Lau pleaded not guilty to the careless driving ticket and requested a hearing.
At that Sept. 17 hearing in Viera, the careless driving citation was dismissed after troopers presented no evidence or witnesses. Lau pleaded no contest to the open container charge and was ordered to pay the $169 fine, with adjudication withheld. Lau has not spoken publicly about the crash or his refusal to be tested.
Lau spent his entire career with the Titusville Police Department, starting on patrol in 1992. He was named interim chief after the retirement of Chief Anthony Bollinger in 2012 and received the permanent appointment in 2013.
Wright becomes the department’s next permanent chief after four months leading the agency on an interim basis.
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