A week after being fired as Miami Police Chief, Art Acevedo, who had the same job in Houston before bolting for South Florida, spoke out for the first time.

Acevedo, speaking exclusively to NBC News, called getting fired just six months after accepting the job a "pretty embarrassing episode in a 35-year career."

Acevedo clashed with the police union almost immediately after starting his job in April by making several changes to his command staff, including demoting four majors and firing two high-level officers. In September, reports came out that Acevedo made an off-the-cuff remark about the police force being run by the "Cuban mafia." Acevedo, who is Cuban himself, later apologized, saying he didn't know the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro used the term to derogatorily refer to Cuban exiles in Miami.

Acevedo told NBC News he regretted making the comment, "because it was used for political gain by some, but also I do believe that to members of the exile community, and I'm part of that exile community, that it was hurtful to them."

As for his biggest regret, Acevedo said it was "not doing my homework before agreeing (to take the job)."

He later became emotional in the interview when he talked about his parents coming to this country from Cuba and what his next move might be.

"I'm not a quitter," Acevedo said with his voice cracking. "My mom and dad didn't come here for us to be quitters, and I don't plan on quitting on being a voice for this profession and being a voice for the good police officers in this country, and a voice for those that are disenfranchised by bad police officers, and we'll see how I end up being able to serve, moving forward."