Orosa sworn in as chief of Miami police department

MIAMI (AP) -- Miami's interim police chief will be sworn in as the permanent head of the 1,100-officer force.

Manuel Orosa has been the department's interim chief since September. His swearing-in ceremony will be Tuesday morning at the Miami Police College.

Orosa is a 31-year veteran of the Miami police.

The U.S. Justice Department has launched a civil rights investigation into the fatal police shootings of seven black suspects in inner-city Miami in an eight-month span. Those shootings occurred during the tenure of Orosa's predecessor, Miguel Exposito. Exposito defended the shootings as justified, but the public outcry contributed to his ouster. Exposito was fired in September after officials determined that he disobeyed orders about personnel moves in the department.

(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)