Chief Bryan began his law enforcement career in August 1994 with the Durham Police Department, serving as a Patrol Officer in District Two, B Squad. His early experience laid a strong foundation in community policing, relationship-building, street-level narcotics enforcement, and interagency collaboration.
In December 1997, Chief Bryan joined the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), completing Basic Agent Training in Quantico, Virginia. Over a distinguished 22-year career with the DEA, he held multiple domestic and international assignments, including posts in West Palm Beach, New Orleans, Washington, D.C., the Caribbean, Central America, and South America. He specialized in investigations targeting violent drug trafficking organizations and transnational criminal enterprises. Chief Bryan retired from the DEA on October 31, 2019.
Shortly thereafter, on November 4, 2019, he was appointed Police Major with the Fayetteville Police Department, where he led the Specialized Services Bureau. In this role, he oversaw 229 sworn and civilian personnel across several divisions, including Training and Professional Development, Community Resources, Communications, Central Records, Traffic Support, and Technical Services. His responsibilities also included oversight of specialized units, such as the Emergency Response Team, Urban Search and Rescue, Crisis Negotiation Team, Aviation, Civil Emergency Unit, and Electronic Monitoring Unit.
In June 2022, Chief Bryan was appointed as the Associate Vice Chancellor/Chief of Police for the Fayetteville State University Department of Police and Public Safety. Under his leadership, the department achieved significant milestones, including securing market-rate pay increases for all staff, enhancing recruitment and retention, expanding jurisdiction city-wide, launching a K-9 program, and implementing advanced technologies across departmental systems. Chief Bryan concluded his tenure at FSU on July 5, 2025, and assumed command as Chief of Police for the City of Fayetteville on July 7, 2025.
Chief Bryan is a graduate of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Senior Management Institute for Police (SMIP), Session #81, and holds the North Carolina Advanced Law Enforcement Certificate. He earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from East Carolina University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Fayetteville State University.
Chief Bryan is a Life Member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc., and currently serves as Polemarch of the Fayetteville (NC) Alumni Chapter. He also currently serves as President of the North Carolina Police Executives Association (NCPEA), the state’s oldest professional law enforcement association. Chief Bryan is an active member of the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), and the Police Executive Research Forum (PERF).
A U.S. Army veteran, Chief Bryan is a graduate of the North Carolina Military Academy at Fort Bragg, where he was commissioned as a Military Police Officer. He has been married to his wife, Paulette, for 29 years and is the proud father of two adult children, Roberto III and Taylor.