 -- Dallas police chief David Brown announced today he is retiring after 33 years with the police department.

His announcement comes less than two months after five Dallas police officers were killed by a gunman who said he was angry with police.

At a service days later, a heartbroken Brown recited lyrics from Stevie Wonder's 1977 hit "As" in his tribute to the families of the five officers. And at a vigil, Brown said superheros are "like cops," and quoted the opening sequence of "Superman."

Days after the tragic shootings, Brown urged protesters to join the police force, announcing, "We’re hiring."

"Get off that protest line and put an application in and we’ll put you in your neighborhood and we will help you resolve some of the problems you’re protesting about," Brown said.

And in the weeks that followed, applications tripled.

Brown, 55, said in a statement today, "Let’s always remember the fallen officers including the five officers on July 7, 2016, and the brave men and women of the Dallas Police Department for their sacrifices to keep Dallas safe ... Their memory will remain with all of us forever. I know the people of Dallas will never forget the ultimate sacrifice they made on the streets of our city that awful night."

He continued, "Serving the citizens of Dallas in this noble profession has been both a true honor and a humbling experience," Brown said today. "I became a Dallas cop in 1983 because of the crack cocaine epidemic’s impact on my neighborhood in Oak Cliff. I wanted to be part of the solution. Since that time I have taken great pride in knowing that we have always been part of the solution and helped to make Dallas the world class city it is today."

Brown had been contemplating the right time to retire for about the last year, said mayor Mike Rawlings said during a press conference today,

City Manager A.C. Gonzalez, also at the press conference, added that the decision to retire now was the best time for Brown and his family.

Brown's retirement will be effective Oct. 22.