Six candidates were being interviewed this week for the job of chief constable of Sussex.
The £105,780-a-year job became vacant when Paul Whitehouse retired early after the fatal shooting of an unarmed man in Hastings.
Among the candidates is Bob Ayling, deputy chief constable of Kent Police, which carried out an investigation into the shooting.
Mr Ayling is second-in-command to Sir David Phillips, chairman of the Association of Chief Police Officers.
One man who withdrew from the race was Mike Fuller, 42-year-old deputy assistant commissioner with the Metropolitan Police.
If selected, he would have been the first black chief constable.
There are no women among the candidates and none has any previous connection with Sussex.
The force hopes to appoint the new chief before Christmas.
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