http://www.nytimes.com/2016/10/10/nyregion/ken-thompson-brooklyns-first-black-district-attorney-dies-at-50.html 2016-10-10 03:20:58 Ken Thompson, Brooklyn’s First Black District Attorney, Dies at 50 Mr. Thompson, who took over the job in 2014, had announced five days ago that he had cancer and would take leave from work. === Ken Thompson, the Brooklyn district attorney who announced five days ago that Mr. Thompson became Brooklyn’s first black district attorney in 2014. He said last week that his chief assistant, Eric Gonzalez, would serve as interim district attorney. Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo said in a statement that Mr. Thompson was “a dedicated public servant who embodied the highest principles of the law, and his grand presence will be sorely missed.” Flags in New York will fly at half-staff on Monday. “A lifelong New Yorker, Ken was known as an effective, aggressive civil rights leader — and a national voice for criminal justice reform,” Mr. Cuomo said. Last week, Mr. Thompson struck an optimistic tone about his cancer diagnosis. “As a man of intense faith, I intend to fight and win the battle against this disease,” Mr. Thompson said in a statement. “I humbly seek your sincere prayers as I confront this challenge and respectfully ask that you honor my family’s need and wish for privacy during this time.” Mr. Thompson is survived by his wife of 17 years, Lu-Shawn Thompson; his children, Kennedy and Kenny; his mother; his father; his brother; and his sister.