Police chief finalists attend Killeen reception

Tom Whitten Jr., one of the candidates for Killeen's police chief position, speaks with members of the community at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center on Friday evening.
Thaddeus Imerman | Herald

A Killeen resident speaks with Chris Vallego, one of the candidates for Killeen's police chief on Friday evening at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center.
Thaddeus Imerman | Herald

Keith Humphrey, one of the city of Killeen's candidates for its police chief position, speaks with members of the Killeen community Friday evening at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center.
Thaddeus Imerman | Herald

Killeen residents speak with Pedro Lopez Jr., one of the candidates for Killeen police chief on Friday evening at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center.
Thaddeus Imerman | Herald

Killeen Daily Herald
Herald Staff Report
April 15, 2023

The five finalists to succeed Charles Kimble as Killeen’s police chief attended a reception Friday evening to meet residents and others following two days of tours and interviews.

They finalists are Killeen Assistant Police Chief Alex Gearhart; Pedro Lopez Jr., Houston ISD police chief; Chris Vallejo, a senior law-enforcement official with Austin Police Department; Ellwood Thomas Witten Jr., chief deputy for the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office; and Keith Humphrey, retired from the Little Rock, Arkansas, Police Department as police chief.

City Manager Kent Cagle selected the finalists. They were interviewed by a panel of community members on Friday at the Killeen Civic and Conference Center, where the reception was also hosted.