He was named chief on June 8, 2020, amid protests over the murder of George Floyd and police brutality.
He joined the United States Air Force at age 19 and served four years on active duty and two in the reserves.
[3][8] He was a lieutenant when Chief Jami Resch resigned and asked him to replace her in June 2020, following criticism over the department's response to protests following the murder of George Floyd.
[3] On September 20, 2023, Lovell announced that he would step down as chief to pursue more involvement in the bureau's community engagement efforts.
[9] Lovell was officially replaced by retired deputy chief Bob Day on October 11, 2023.