The news comes amid a national outcry against police treatment of minority groups, and African-Americans in particular, following several high-profile police killings of unarmed black men in cities like Ferguson, Missouri and New York over the past year.
The Chicago Police Board terminated the employment of former Detective Timothy McDermott over the photo in October, the newspaper said.
McDermott has filed a lawsuit to regain his job, and the Tribune said a judge blocked his and his attorneys' requests to have the photo kept under seal.