Chief Daschel Elliot Butler's Obituary
Daschel “Dash” Butler
Born March 5th, 1950
Died January 16th, 2017
Dash’s parents Rotena and Charlie Swearingen, raised him in the Catholic Church, he attended Catholic Schools in the San Francisco area before attending and graduating from the University of California Berkeley, California.
Dash was hired by the Berkeley Police Department in 1971 at twenty-one years of age. He
worked throughout the department as a patrolman, promoting through the ranks and was appointed Chief of Police for the City of Berkeley. Dash served as the Chief of Police for twelve years.
During that period he improved the working conditions for the officers, increased staffing, provided top of the line equipment, increased the pay for his staff, and was the moving force in building a new building for the Berkeley Police Department. During this period, Dash became very involved in the Woman’s Day-Time Drop In Center and the Christmas In April Program, helping build, remodel homes for disadvantaged people in the Berkeley area.
Upon Dash’ retirement from the Berkeley Police Department, he founded Butler Diversified Services specializing in commercial construction. It was during this time Dash’s health began to decline, complications due to diabetes would demand a Kidney Transplant surgery.
In 2009 the Law Enforcement Community would call Dash back into service after the Bart Police
Department’s controversial shooting of Oscar Grant. Dash would guide the department through those very difficult times, began the mending of the broken relationship between the community and the police department.
Diabetes complications would eventually be the major contributing factor in his death.
Dash is survived by his only child Tyson Carpenter, presently attending Bishop O’Dowd High School in Oakland and has been accepted to Sonoma State University where he plans to study Criminology. The last two years of Dash’s life were shared with his fiancée Donna Abraham, she was at his side when he expired
What’s your fondest memory of Daschel?
What’s a lesson you learned from Daschel?
Share a story where Daschel's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Daschel you’ll never forget.
How did Daschel make you smile?