In May 2019, Brown, who had earlier announced his planned resignation for health reasons, died, and Ryan, then chief assistant district attorney, was sworn in in an acting capacity.

[6] In 1979, shortly after being promoted to deputy chief of the Homicide Investigations Bureau, he resigned to serve as an assistant state attorney general under Robert Abrams.

In 1988, after Abrams was appointed special prosecutor in the Tawana Brawley case by Mario Cuomo, Ryan was designated to lead the grand jury investigation.

[7][8][9][1] In this capacity, he frequently drew the ire of Al Sharpton, who likened him to a storm trooper and falsely accused him of kicking a blind man in a scuffle with demonstrators.

[14] A political independent, Ryan defended his office amid criticism raised during that year's district attorney election campaign from criminal justice reform advocates.

[15][16] He clashed with the eventual election winner, borough president Melinda Katz, on her decision to eliminate cash bail, joining with Staten Island District Attorney Michael McMahon to criticize the move.