BALTIMORE (AP) - Less than three years ago, Anthony Batts was hand-picked by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to combat crime and reform a troubled law enforcement department in one of America's most violent cities.
On Wednesday, Batts was fired as police commissioner amid the worst crime spike in the city since the 1970s.
Rawlings-Blake announced Batts' firing at a news conference Wednesday just 45 minutes after she delivered the news to him in person.
Rawlings-Blake thanked Batts for his service - and praised the job he had done - but said growing criticism of his performance had become a "distraction" that was preventing the city from moving ahead.
Deputy Police Commissioner Kevin Davis, who has only been with the department since January, will serve as interim commissioner.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts is Out
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