Signal Hill police Chief Wayne Byerley died after experiencing a medical emergency while on the job Wednesday evening, the city announced.
Byerley, 58, had served as police chief since May 2023.
“Chief Wayne Byerley’s leadership, optimism, and unwavering dedication to our community will leave a lasting legacy in Signal Hill,” Signal Hill Mayor Keir Jones said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful for his service and profoundly saddened by his loss.”
Before joining the department, he was a captain for the Los Alamitos Police Department. He retired from the Orange County Sheriff’s Department in 2020 as a division commander after 32 years of service.
Byerley managed Airport Police Services at John Wayne Airport and the Professional Standards Division, according to the sheriff’s department.
“His dedication to the profession of law enforcement and his community was felt by those who had the privilege of working alongside him,” the sheriff’s department said in a statement.