TEXAS CITY Police officer Ronald “Pookie” Hall retired on Thursday following a 32-year career with the department in which he did not record a sick day. On Friday, the city honored him with a retirement ceremony that included officers from as far as Houston paying homage to Hall.
“He’s irreplaceable,” said Texas City Police Chief Joe Stanton. “There will never be another one like Pookie.”
Family and friends filled the Texas City courtroom to honor Hall, whose presence made him an iconic figure in the West Texas City area that he patrolled. Along with becoming the longest-tenured African-American officer in the department’s history, Hall was the go-to for many a member of the TCPD during his four-decade run.
“Whenever we needed an officer to train, we would let him ride with Pookie,” said Stanton.
Upon closing the ceremony, Hall borrowed a friend’s phone to playfully announce, “Officer Hall is retired for life.”
The former University of Houston linebacker will remain a member of the department in a reserve role.
“We couldn’t completely let him go,” said Stanton.
The video of Hall making his final radio call has received more than 130,000 views on Facebook less than 24 hours after it was posted on Thursday evening.
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