Police Chief James Jackson settled his 11-year-old lawsuit with the city on Friday and willretire next March, 10TV News reported.
Jackson announced he will take leave effective Nov. 27 and will retire as police chief on March16, according to a city spokesman.
The retirement marks the end of 51 years of public service for Jackson.
VIDEO: Jackson To Be Last Police 'Chief For Life' | ONLINE EXTRA: TimelineOf Jackson's Career | SLIDESHOW: Images Of Jackson
"It has been a privilege to serve the people of Columbus and to serve alongside the honorablemen and women of the Columbus Division of Police," Jackson said in a statement that was released bythe city on Friday afternoon. "It has given me great pride to watch our officers perform theirduties with integrity, courage, compassion and a sense of duty."
Jackson joined the Division of Police as a patrolman in March 1958. He was promoted tosergeant in 1967, to lieutenant in 1971, captain in 1974 and deputy chief in 1977.
Jackson was named chief of police on June 15, 1990, becoming the city's first African-Americanchief.
No person has served as chief of a major American or Canadian police force longer than Jackson,10TV's Jerry Revish reported.
"I believe others deserve credit for what they're doing," Jackson said in a March interview with10TV News. "They deserve an opportunity to be seen and heard and that's fine with me."
Jackson said he blamed racism for producing one of the darkest days of his career.
In 1999, then-Mayor Greg Lashutka and safety director Tom Rice tried to fire Jackson on groundsof incompetence and gross neglect of duty. They accused Jackson of showing favoritism to a whitecommander over the handling of a prostitution investigation, and ordering the destruction of adocument in a homicide investigation.
Rice said that race had nothing to do with the claims.
"I didn't understand it," Jackson said. "It was humiliating."
A subsequent Civil Service Commission investigation left Jackson locked out of his office forthree months, Revish reported.
Commissioners eventually threw out all but two charges against him, and Jackson accepted afive-day suspension. But during the course of the investigation, city officials made public thedeposition of an informant who claimed that Jackson had fathered a child with a teenageprostitute.
"I'm the first, so far only black chief, and I get accused of being, in effect, a rapist of ajuvenile," Jackson said. "I can't let that stand and not try to do something about it. It wasgrossly unfair."
Jackson filed a defamation suit against the city, and in March the Ohio Supreme Court upheldJackson's lawsuit, Revish reported.
The case was slated to go back to Franklin County Common Pleas Court for trial, but on Fridayboth sides agreed to terms of a settlement.
Under the settlement, Jackson will be reimbursed for 55 days of vacation he took in lieu of paidleave in 1996, and a new police training facility will be named after him, 10TV News reported.
In addition, an addendum that includes letters of clarification from Tom Rice and formerColumbus Mayor Greg Lashutka will be filed.
When asked in March how he'd like to be remembered, Jackson said he wanted people to rememberhim for being fair.
"That I was fair (and that) I gave nobody special treatment," Jackson said. "I didn't expect any(special treatment) and I guess that's good enough."
City Council has since revised the city charter to limit a chief's service to two, 5-year terms,Revish reported.
Mayor Michael Coleman and Safety Director Mitch Brown will appoint Jackson's permanentreplacement.
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