Harry Lee | Blunt sheriff in La., 75

Harry Lee, 75, the seven-term suburban New Orleans sheriff whose blunt talk sometimes led to sour relations with black leaders, died Monday.

Mr. Lee, who was seeking reelection in Jefferson Parish, died several months after announcing he had leukemia, his chief deputy said in Metaire, La.

Even in a state with a long history of brash and colorful politicians, Mr. Lee cut an uncommon figure: a rotund, white-haired Chinese American with a penchant for western wear.

It was his clashes with black leaders as sheriff of the mostly white New Orleans suburb that often made news during his nearly three decades as sheriff.

The most recent such disagreement came after Hurricane Katrina devastated the region. Mr. Lee's agency faced an upsurge in crime, blamed largely on the illegal drug business that had been dislodged from neighboring New Orleans.

Mr. Lee prompted outrage by suggesting his deputies could randomly question young black men in high-crime areas. He later abandoned the plan but made no apologies for it. - Associated Press