The rain held off long enough Saturday afternoon for Perry Police Department Chief Eric Vaughn to stand by and receive expired or unused medications in what might be the final DEA Drug Take-Back event of his career in law enforcement now that his imminent retirement is an open secret.
“I haven’t announced anything official,” Vaughn said Saturday, “but when people ask me, I tell them.”
Vaughn joined the Perry Police Department in 1997, hired by then-Police Chief Dan Brickner. Vaughn was promoted to detective in August 1999 and assistant police chief in May 2004. He succeeded Brickner as chief in February 2014.
Vaughn’s retirement plans were nearly upended in May 2022, when he sustained a gunshot wound in a confrontation with a deranged gunman. The shooter was sentenced in June 2023 to 40 years in prison, with mandatory minimum sentencing laws ensuring he will serve at least 10 years behind bars.
A wave of sympathetic support for Vaughn arose in the wake of ThePerryNews.com reports, and he later thanked the community in a message on the Perry Police Department Facebook page:
“I wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone for their well wishes and shows of support for me and our department this week,” Vaughn said. “From the flowers to the food and the cards, it all shows what a great community we live in and why our department does what we do. I also want to especially thank all the officers on scene with me that day, Perry PD, our dispatchers, Dallas County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa State Patrol. Their quick actions were instrumental in securing the suspect and bringing this situation to an end. A special thanks to our Dallas County EMS, Mercy Life Flight and everyone at Mercy for my care and treatment. Thanks again for you support now and in the future.”
More recently, Vaughn capably led the Perry Police Department through the aftermath of the tragic shooting spree at Perry High School in January 2024. He has been a reassuring presence during the healing process following the gun crimes.
The future of public safety in Perry now faces a transition. Perry Assistant Police Chief James Archer, a 29-year veteran of the department, is Vaughn’s presumed successor in the leadership position. The Perry Chief of Police is appointed by the Perry Mayor.
