Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson died Sunday night, just days after publicly revealing his battle with cancer.
He was 50 years old.
“He passed away around 6 o’clock,” a source said.
Thompson revealed in a press release Tuesday that he had an “aggressive” form of the disease and had stepped down from the day-to-day running of his office.
He took the job in 2014 — becoming the borough’s first African-American district attorney — after defeating longtime incumbent Charles Hynes.
“With a heavy heart, the family of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson announced that the District Attorney passed away today after a hard fought battle with cancer,” his office said in a statement Sunday night. “Thompson is survived by his wife of 17 years, Lu-Shawn Thompson, his two children, Kennedy and Kenny, his mother, father, brother and sister.
The family were by his side at Memorial Sloan Kettering Hospital at the time of his passing.”
Sources told The Post last week that Thompson had been out of the office since May, acting “extremely hands-on” from his Brooklyn home while undergoing treatment at the same time.
“As a man of intense faith, I intend to fight and win the battle against this disease,” he said in a statement Tuesday. “I humbly seek your sincere prayers as I confront this challenge.”
Thompson had been a federal prosecutor with the US Attorney for the Eastern District of New York before he was elected in 2013.
A source told The Post that his second-in-command, Chief ADA Eric Gonzalez, will be taking over until next year’s election.
“The executive team and I are committed to leading the Office and carrying out DA Thompson’s vision and initiatives,” Gonzalez said in a statement Sunday night. “He was a giant among those seeking to reform the criminal justice system and we are all privileged to have worked under his transformative leadership these past three years.”
Flags will be lowered to half staff on Monday to honor Thompson, according to officials.
“I am profoundly saddened to learn of the sudden passing of Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson after a battle with cancer,” Governor Cuomo said in a statement. “Ken was a dedicated public servant who embodied the highest principles of the law, and his grand presence will be sorely missed.”
Several others offered their condolences on Sunday, including Hynes — who served as DA for 23 years before losing to Thompson.
“I am praying for the Thompson family and I’m hoping for the best for his widow and two young children,
Thompson’s former law partner, Douglas Wigdor, said: “As Ken’s former law partner and friend,
I will cherish the time we spent together building our law firm, and although he has passed, I will personally make sure his legacy, hard work, and dedication to his family, former clients, and the people of Brooklyn are not forgotten.”