CHICAGO — Chicago may have found the new interim police superintendent, according to a Chicago Tribune report.

Fred Waller, the former Chief of Patrol for the Chicago Police Department, will expectedly come out of retirement to serve as the next CPD interim police superintendent.

The decision has yet to be finalized, but Waller does fit Mayor-elect Brandon Johnson’s stated preference of putting a CPD veteran in the position.

Waller was passed over for the CPD superintendent job that went to Eddie Johnson, which he said hurt him.

Waller stepped away from the Chicago Police Department several years ago to take a job in private security. He grew up in the Englewood and Pullman neighborhoods, graduated of Luther High School South before attending both Augustana College and Chicago State University.

Waller was intricately involved in responding to the unrest that followed the shooting death of Laquan McDonald by a CPD officer in 2014 and the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police officers in May of 2020.

When he retired, Waller had attained the third highest rank in the Chicago Police Department and was well respected within the department.

Just days before his retirement, Waller told WGN there has to be respect for police officers who are just trying to enforce the law.

“Comply first and if you feel you have been mistreated complain later,” Waller said.

The Community Commission for Public Safety and Accountability, which is the agency charged with submitting three finalists for the permanent CPD Superintendent position to Mayor-elect Johnson by mid-July, did not respond to WGN for comment and neither did Waller.

A decision on Waller could come as soon as Wednesday.