NEW YORK – Officer Brendan McLoughlin made national news last year when he married country music artist Miranda Lambert. Now after celebrating their first anniversary, the NYPD officer is moving on. He has officially retired from the department.
A media spokesperson for the NYPD confirmed McLoughlin’s departure to Fox News in a statement Friday.
“His current duty status is retired,” Sergeant Jessica McRorie, an NYPD DCPI spokesperson, told the news organization.
During a recent leave of absence, McLoughlin was frequently spotted with Lambert on her “Wildcard” tour. Now, multiple sources confirm to Fox News that McLoughlin isn’t just a fan cheering on Lambert during her shows. Instead, the now retired police officer is working as a member of Lambert’s security team.
Multiple eyewitnesses who have attended Lambert’s concerts in the last month confirmed to Fox News that McLoughlin has been busy working security at the singer’s meet and greets at various venues. One onlooker confirmed McLoughlin was put to work at the singer’s Tulsa, Okla. concert on Feb. 7 by monitoring lines of fans and checking their bags.
“Brendan was the security guard right before you go in to meet Miranda for her meet and greet,” said the eyewitness. “Other members of the security team told fans, ‘No photos with Brendan.'”
That same week, a second eyewitness told Fox News that McLoughlin was assisting Lambert’s security team at her concert held at the American Airlines Center in Dallas, Texas.
“Brendan was one of the security guys checking fans and when it was your turn it was actually Brendan asking if fans had anything they wanted Miranda to sign,” said the source. “Brendan was overheard telling one fan, ‘Have her sign your boot!'”
“Brendan wears a lanyard representing he’s on Miranda’s team and he even wears a little earpiece,” the second witness added.
Lambert, 36, stunned fans last February with the announcement that she had wed McLoughlin. The couple celebrated their one-year anniversary last month.
While McLoughlin is a New York native whose other family members have ties to the NYPD, one friend of the singer’s husband told Fox News that it was “about time” McLoughlin officially stepped away from his role as an officer.
“Brendan is beyond happy just living life right now,” one friend of McLoughlin’s said. “Brendan’s mom was in the NYPD. Becoming a cop is just what he knew at the time. It was a family footstep.”
Nevertheless, the friend added that McLoughlin’s marriage to Lambert definitely played a role in his exit from the police department.
“He’s married to someone that has a career that New York City can’t contribute to 100 percent of the time,” the source said.