Who’s the new Chief on Chicago PD (and what’s his connection to Voight)?

There’s a new Chief in town, and he’s making changes. The season 10 premiere of Chicago PD brought about lots of big changes, but one of the most notable was the return of Chief Patrick O’Neal. That’s right, the return.

O’Neal goes way back in the One Chicago universe, both with Hank Voight (Jason Beghe) and the precinct as a while. His recent promotion will signify a different approach to police work, and the promos for the upcoming episodes suggest that he also plays a role in Jay Halstead’s decision to leave the IU.

Here’s what you need to know about O’Neal and the actor who plays him, Michael Gaston.

Who does Michael Gaston play on Chicago PD?

While he may seem like a new character, he’s actually someone that was established early on in Chicago PD. He made a brief appearance in the season 2 episode “Prison Ball”, when he still had the rank of narcotics officer. His behavior towards Voight makes it clear that he’s worked next to the officer for decades, and they have a mutual respect for one another, even if their approaches seem to be fundamentally different.

Now that O’Neal is Chief, he seems hell-bent on making a difference and cleaning up the city the right way. That means no cutting corners and no using the hardball tactics that Voight has built his reputation on. The two men converse at the end of the season 10 premiere, and it seems like they reach an understanding regarding their working relationship in the future.

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Gaston should be a familiar face to anybody who’s watched cops films or TV shows over the past few decades. He’s appeared on Dick Wolf hits like Law & Order and Law & Order: Special Victims Unit as several different characters, and has also popped up on CSI and and 24.

On the film side, Gaston has been in acclaimed dramas like Cop Land (1997), Inception (2010), and Bridge of Spies (2015).

We can’t wait to see him butt heads with the IU, and test their general approach to crime-fighting.

For the latest Chicago PD season 10 spoilers and news, plus more on the entire series, follow the Chicago PD category at One Chicago Center.