Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has selected a new police superintendent, and he did so without consideration of the police board’s recommendation.
The Chicago Sun-Times reports that Emanuel has selected Eddie Johnson to step into the position as the new superintendent.
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Johnson previously served as the CPD’s head of patrol, has been a veteran amongst the department having served 27 years and will be the interim superintendent.
Emanuel’s pick comes as a surprise as the police board vetted three potential candidates for the job, none of which were Johnson.
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The selection comes at a pivotal time for both the Mayor and the police department who are both struggling with community popularity following the release of the Laquan McDonald shooting tape incident in November. Emanuel asked for the resignation of the previous superintendent Garry McCarthy in December and has been combatting his own resignation requests since.