UCLA police chief steps down amid criticism of response to pro-Palestinian campus protests

WESTWOOD, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- UCLA Police Chief John Thomas has stepped down after heavy criticism of security lapses during pro-Palestinian protests on campus earlier this year.

In a social media post, the UCLA Police Department said Thomas' last day with UCLA was Tuesday. The post did not specify what prompted the departure or whether it was a mutual decision.

Thomas was reassigned by the university in May amid internal and external investigations into how the university handled those protests.

During the violence that broke out in early May, UCLA students and others involved in the protest encampment had to fend for themselves against attackers for three hours before law enforcement moved in to quell the disturbance.

Chaos erupted on the UCLA campus overnight between pro-Palestinian and pro-Israeli protesters at an encampment on campus.

While Thomas has said he did everything he could to protect students, a review by a national law enforcement consulting agency found there was no true plan, which ultimately led to chaos on campus.

Thomas previously worked at USC and spent 21 years working for the LAPD.

UCLA Police Capt. Scott Scheffler will serve as interim police chief until a permanent chief is selected, the university said.

"It is my hope that the officers you see on campus and the surrounding community, along with our support staff behind the scenes, will provide outstanding customer service," Scheffler said on the department's website.

City News Service contributed to this report.