Aurora police chief in the spotlight

The shooting at a theater showing the new Batman movie has thrust the police chief of a Denver suburb into the spotlight.

Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates spent 21 years with New York City police, leaving as chief of intelligence and a deputy chief. Before he came to Aurora, he was the chief of the police and fire departments in Ann Arbor, Mich.

Police across the country are watching his investigation. A retired officer from Michigan says Oates is well prepared for the job.

The Bucknell University graduate has a master’s degree from New York University, and can practice law in three states. He’s also the father of two girls who were watching “The Dark Knight Rises” on the night of the shooting – but at a different theater.