And for those weeks the nation was comforted, informed and reassured by Montgomery County, Md., Police Chief Charles Moose. His picture was on the front pages of newspapers across the nation for weeks, and he quickly became one of the most well-known faces in law enforcement.
But Moose, a 1975 UNC graduate, wasn't always sure he wanted to be a police officer.
"I was going to be an attorney," Moose said in an interview with The Daily Tar Heel last week. "Then I took a class senior year called 'Policing the Police.'"
Reuben Greenberg, now police chief of Charleston, S.C., taught the class and told Moose police recruiters from Portland, Ore., were visiting campus.
"It was a last-minute thing," Moose said. "I ended up taking a test, and after graduation I headed to Portland."
Moose started out as a patrol officer in Portland but still was interested in pursuing a career as an attorney.
"I was going to be a police officer for a couple of years and then go to law school," Moose said. "But once I became a police officer, the experience offered me new insight and perspective."
Moose was raised in Lexington, a small town in central North Carolina. "There were probably as many people in Lexington as there were at UNC," Moose said. "The campus exposed me to different people and different cultures."
During
Moose, who received his bachelor's degree in U.S. history, said he enjoyed the academic climate but found the adjustment to some classes rough.
"Initially, I thought it was very factory-like," he said. "But as the years progressed, everything became more hands-on."
He said one of the best parts of his time at UNC was competing on the wrestling team. In his first couple of years with the team, Moose said, the coach was an English professor. The program was lax, the team unmotivated.
During his senior year, Bill Lam stepped in as coach and brought with him new ideals and more competitive athletes.
"We started to work a lot harder," Moose said. "He changed the whole state of the team -- we were actually good and winning matches."
Lam said he was impressed with Moose's ability to adjust to the newly intensive program.
"I made it very tough on them all, especially the older wrestlers," Lam said. "But (Moose) had an inherent mental toughness.
"He was the glue that held the new team together."
As he began to watch Moose address the nation on television, Lam said, he was surprised to see Moose's same drive and determination intact.
"I've been so fascinated watching him," Lam said. "He had the same type of character and demeanor as a wrestler."
Al Winget, a close friend of Moose's on the wrestling team, also said the police chief hasn't changed much since his college days. "He is very much like the guy you see on television," Winget said. "He was always somewhat low-key and soft-spoken.
"But he was always hard-working."
History Professor David Griffiths, who served as Moose's adviser during college, said he also was impressed with Moose.
"He was a black student here when there were few," Griffiths said. "He was able to pull himself up from difficult situations. He was really self-made."
Moose said many different people and experiences influenced him and shaped his value system.
"My dad, who died when I was 20, was definitely a strong male influence in my life," Moose said. "Being in athletics and serving in the law enforcement field has also influenced me."
After moving to Portland, Moose swiftly rose through the law enforcement ranks. He became a lieutenant in 1984, a position he held for seven years, and became deputy chief of the city's operation branch in 1991. He was named Portland chief of police in 1993.
Moose also went to Portland State University, where he received a master's in public administration in 1984 and a doctorate in urban studies and criminology in 1993. "I got a really good education in Portland," Moose said. "But it was Carolina that gave me a great foundation."
After leaving North Carolina, Moose said, he kept in contact with most of his UNC friends, but moving so far made it hard. "There was a small group of people in the Portland Carolina alumni organization," Moose said. "We would get together with Duke alumni, rent a small place and watch the Duke-Carolina basketball games."
Eventually, Moose began to connect with more UNC alumni when he moved to Maryland in 1999 to serve as the police chief in Montgomery County.
In addition to his law enforcement duties, Moose also serves as a major in the District of Columbia Air National Guard.
Moose said now that the main portions of the sniper case are wrapping up, he is getting a chance to take things a bit slowly.
On Saturday, Moose went to the UNC-Maryland game with his wife and got the opportunity to show his 22-year-old son around campus.
He said he always has been proud of his UNC heritage. "When you mention you graduated from UNC, it is something that is always well-respected," Moose said. "It's amazing when you meet someone else who graduated from UNC and you can share that."
The Features Editor can be reached at features@unc.edu.
