He eventually leaves the Baltimore Police Department due to the turmoil surrounding his accidental shooting of another officer, and later finds meaning as a dedicated middle school teacher.

[2] "Prez" is well-known within the department for his incompetence; an oft-recounted incident involved him panickedly shooting up his own squad car and then calling in a false report.

Though portrayed as a decent man who occasionally shows flashes of intelligence, Prez shies away from the brutal realities of Baltimore police work.

Stuck in the office, a bored Prez begins playing with the Barksdale organization's pager codes, eventually breaking them and greatly contributing to the case.

Valchek agrees that Prez can return to the detail following a written apology and two months of working the midnight shift as a narcotics detective in his district.

Late one night, while responding with McNulty to a distress call, Prez fails to properly identify himself and kills a plainclothes officer in a case of mistaken identity.

Prez sees through the school system's flaws, but adapts well, and becomes a dedicated teacher who enjoys helping his students advance through class.

Duquan "Dukie" Weems visits him and asks for money: ostensibly to pay rent and to enroll in a GED program, but actually to buy heroin.

The character's code-breaking ability, and the season 1 pager code itself, are based on the Melvin Williams case investigated by Harry Edgerton and Ed Burns.