HPD Chief Finner Suddenly Retires Amid Abandoned Cases Scandal

HOUSTON (KIAH) — The news came Tuesday in a late-night email sent to thousands of officers and staff at the Houston Police Department.

Our news partners received a copy of the email written by Houston Mayor John Whitmire announcing that he had accepted the retirement of HPD Chief Troy Finner at 10:31 p.m.

The email went on to state that Executive Assistant Chief Larry Satterwhite is now serving as interim chief.

Earlier this year, Finner revealed that HPD had abandoned more than 260,000 cases since 2016, citing the police code’s “understaffing.”

During a March 7 news conference, Finner said he was not aware of that code until 2021, the same year the force veteran, then 31, was named chief.

But our news partners were able to uncover another email showing that Finner was aware the code was being used at least once in 2018.

Finner responded with a statement that HPD published on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“Until I saw the email today, I had no recollection of it,” Finner said in the statement. “I have since been informed that this is already part of the internal investigation. I promised an independent and thorough investigation and my lack of knowledge of this email constitutes proof of my independence.