Latvian Interior Minister Linda Murniece handed in her resignation to Prime Minister Valdis Dombrovskis on Thursday, local media reported.
The resignation came as a surprise, as Murniece had previously refused repeated calls for her resignation, DPA reported.
In a brief statement, Murniece said she had tendered her resignation and would finish in her post on February 28 but she gave no precise reason for her decision.
Murniece had come under heavy criticism from opposition politicians following an incident on January 25 in which a police officer was killed while attempting to apprehend a gang of armed robbers in the town of Jekabpils.
Following a gun battle it emerged that most of the robbers were themselves police officers, including members of the elite "Alfa Force" anti-riot squad.
As details of the heist emerged, calls for the minister's resignation grew, but she responded by promising to institute swift reforms of the police including the disbanding of Alfa Force.
Murniece's re-appointment as interior minister in November 2010 was also controversial as she had failed to be re-elected to parliament in elections the previous month.
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