Aurora Police Chief Dan Oates is in line to become the new top cop for the Miami Beach Police Department.

Oates, who has been Aurora’s police chief since 2005, was thrust into the spotlight when a gunman opened fire in a packed movie theater July 20, 2012, killing 12 people and injuring dozens more.

Oates was hailed for his response to the fast-moving situation and how he handled the community’s grief in the days and weeks after the tragedy.

Arapahoe County District Attorney George Brauchler told The Denver Post late Tuesday that he wished Oates could see the movie theater shooting prosecution to its conclusion.

“Oates is the face of that case,” he said. “I am happy for him as a person, and he’s been a great police chief for Aurora.”

Jimmy Morales, the Miami Beach city manager, confirmed Tuesday to The Miami Herald that he planned to appoint Oates as chief.

Oates’ appointment as chief would be pending approval from the mayor and commission after an interview, The Herald reported. Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine told 9News that the council would vote next week.

“I’m really happy for Dan,” said Aurora Councilwoman Barbara Cleland. “I am not surprised by this at all.”

Cleland said she planned to discuss the next steps for replacing Oates with other city officials Wednesday.

Oates holds

an English degree from Bucknell University and was the editor of the school’s newspaper and yearbook. After graduation, he worked as a reporter and an editor and later took a job as a beat cop in the New York City Police Department.

He climbed his way up the departmental ladder to become the executive deputy chief in Brooklyn, N.Y., supervising thousands of patrol officers.

Oates retired from that job to head the police department in Ann Arbor, Mich..

Wanting the challenges of his own big-city police department, Oates came to the Aurora Police Department in November 2005.

“His work ethic is unbelievable,” said Charlie Richardson, a recently retired Aurora city attorney who was with Oates from the start of his tenure. “It seemed like he worked 25 hours a day.”

During the hectic hours, days and weeks after the theater massacre, Oates was a constant presence.

He first addressed five reporters around 2 a.m. on the morning of the shooting. By the time the sun had risen, he was giving a media conference to stations from around the country and the world.

Months later, on Jan. 28, 2013, Oates met with President Barack Obama and more than a dozen law enforcement leaders from around the country in a meeting at the White House to discuss what the federal government could do to help stymie gun violence in communities nationwide.

In Miami Beach, Oates would replace Raymond Martinez, who announced his retirement earlier this year after two years as chief and more than 12 years on the force.

The Aurora Police Department currently employs nearly 650 officers and 120 civilians. The Miami Beach department is considerably smaller.

Calls to Oates for comment were not immediately returned Tuesday night.

Ryan Parker: 303-954-2409, rparker@denverpost.com or twitter.com/ryanparkerdp

Denver Post Staff Writer Carlos Illescas contributed to this report.