Minneapolis police Lt. John Delmonico, whose appointment last month to lead the Fourth Precinct provoked a public outcry and turned into a clash between the city's mayor and police chief, withdrew his name from consideration on Monday.

The sudden announcement came days after Mayor Betsy Hodges, in an unprecedented move, publicly overruled Chief Janeé Harteau's decision to appoint him, saying that the one-time police union head was the wrong fit for the job.

When reached by phone on Monday, Delmonico said that while he was disappointed by the outcome, he would "continue to do the good things that the North Side does every day and that it has for the last eight months."

"I really believe that I became the unnecessary distraction to everything, to the police department, to work on the North Side, to community relations," he said. "That's what I felt I became and by removing me from the equation, that distraction is gone and we can continue to do things on the North Side."

In an e-mail to the department Monday, Harteau said she is unwavering in her support of Delmonico, whom she again credited with helping lower violent crime in his eight-month tenure as night supervisor.

"Although I'm disappointed, I fully support and understand how John arrived at this decision," Harteau wrote. "John's decision is both selfless and what he believes is best for the officers and residents of the Fourth Precinct.

John Delmonico

Libor Jany