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Man who led sniper hunt starts over

Published 9:00 pm Friday, November 10, 2006

HONOLULU – The former Maryland police chief who headed the Washington, D.C.-area sniper manhunt three years ago graduated as one of 40 new Honolulu police recruits.

Charles Moose, 53, will hit the streets for patrol duty Monday morning alongside a police veteran. He graduated from the academy on Thursday.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve worked the street … but it’s exactly what I want to do over the next several years,” he said.

Moose led the task force that investigated the three-week shooting spree that left 10 people dead and terrorized the Washington area in 2002. John Allen Muhammad and Lee Boyd Malvo were arrested. Muhammad was sentenced to death; Malvo was ordered to serve life in prison.

Moose resigned as Montgomery County police chief in 2003 amid criticism that he was improperly cashing in by writing a book about the sniper case. He now lives in West Oahu.

Everyone entering the Honolulu department must start as a recruit.

Moose was one of the most experienced and highly educated members of his class. He holds a bachelor’s degree in U.S. history, a master’s in public administration and a doctorate in urban studies and criminology, and also graduated from the FBI National Academy.