Retired Sterling Heights officer killed by suspected drunk driver

DETROIT (FOX 2) - After spending his career protecting the people of his community, a retired Sterling Heights police officer was killed by a suspected drunk driver.

"He had friends everywhere. He was the nicest guy you ever want to meet. He would literally do anything for you with a moment's notice," said Sterling Heights Police Chief Dale Dwojakowski.

Sgt. Daryl Brown was a member of the department for 26 years who had just retired in June of last year. He was a husband and a father.

"He was an unbelievable police officer, but a dad. He was an awesome dad. He's got two young kids at home. His wife, a sweetheart of a woman," Dwojakowski said.

Detroit police said early Friday morning Brown was crossing the street at Beaubien and Jefferson in downtown not far from the Ren Cen when a 30-year-old man hit Brown and killed him. 

Dwojakowski said from what he understands, Brown's daughter is a great singer and sang at the Fox Theater that night. He said Brown stayed down there with family members and was getting ready to go back and spend the night with his cousin, when he got hit by a drunk driver while crossing the street.

Police arrested the driver and they said he's being cooperative. Investigators think the driver had been drinking.

"We spent the last 10 years in our traffic safety bureau together, investigating serious car crashes, fatal car crashes, pedestrian, injury accidents, fatalities .. to get the call at 3'o'clock in the morning that he was killed by a drunk driver in Detroit just shocking to all of us and devastating for the entire police department," Dwojakowski said.

The city's mayor Michael Taylor was a friend of Brown's. He said after Brown kept the streets safe for 26 years, including arresting drunk drivers, for this to happen -- it's hard to process.

"He just celebrated his 50th birthday. He's got two teenage children that he loved dearly. He was just a great guy and I'm speechless," he said