Aurora chief won't be Chicago's next top cop

Aurora police Chief Kristen Ziman will not be the next Chicago police superintendent.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot chose former Dallas police Chief David Brown instead.

Ziman, 46, was one of three finalists Chicago's police board recommended to Lightfoot.

Lightfoot called Ziman "a woman of great talent and skill" and said "Ziman stood tall during a time of tragedy," referring to the February 2019 mass shooting at the Pratt factory in Aurora.

On Wednesday night, Ziman released a statement saying she had not sought the Chicago job; the police board approached her.

At first, she said she felt disbelief. But then, "I firmly believe that people see things in you that you don't see in yourself. I feel immense gratitude and pride for being considered a worthy candidate," she wrote.

Ziman said she told Mayor Richard Irvin about the approach, and he told her to go for it, with his support.

"I believe we have done great work together at APD and now I feel as if I can make a difference in Chicago by helping to unleash the skills and talent of the officers there," she wrote. "There are so many professionals at CPD that have been unfairly painted with a broad brush of transgressions that are not theirs. I believe I have the passion and energy to meet the challenges that exist in Chicago I so I decided to pursue the opportunity."

Neither Ziman nor Irvin could immediately be reached for comment.