Fox Lake Officer Killed

Fox Lake Officer Killed, As Lake County, Ill., authorities waited for analysis of key evidence in the fatal shooting of Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz — including a gun recovered from the crime scene and newly obtained surveillance video — officials announced the slain Fox Lake police veteran's funeral will be Monday in Antioch.

Public viewing will begin at 9 a.m. at Antioch High School, the Lake County sheriff's office announced Thursday afternoon. The funeral will be at 1 p.m. at the high school, and a procession after the service will lead to a burial at Hillside East Cemetery, also in Antioch.

The three suspects remained at large on the third day of the manhunt, but Lake County authorities said they think they're making progress.

George Filenko, commander of the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, called the video, obtained Wednesday evening from a resident with a home security system, "significant."

The video has been turned over to the Department of Homeland Security for analysis since local authorities do not have the proper equipment to view the tape, but the homeowner said it showed three individuals matching police's limited description of the suspects, Filenko said.

Filenko also confirmed a gun was found at the crime scene, but would not say Thursday evening whether it belonged to the officer or whether it had been fired.

All evidence is now in the hands of Homeland Security or the Northeastern Illinois Regional Crime Laboratory, and Filenko said investigators hoped to have results related to the analysis of evidence by Thursday evening.

During the 12:30 p.m. news conference in front of the Fox Lake Police Department, Filenko said he thinks they're making "significant progress."

That's despite a five-hour manhunt on the Volo-Lakemoor border that Lake County sheriff's Detective Christopher Covelli called a "wasted" response to a false alarm.

Still, Covelli said the speedy deployment of officers, equipment and air support from 22 agencies reflects their commitment to capturing the men suspected in Gliniewicz's killing.

"I think through our response it really shows that we are here and we are active in this community and we are acting to keep the residents here in Fox Lake safe," he said.

Though some officers were nearing the end of their shifts when the Wednesday night manhunt began about 9:30 p.m., Covelli and Filenko said they've had no trouble finding enough officers to assist in the search.

"The most difficulty I've had is getting them to go home," Filenko said.

In the meantime, Filenko said he's assigned an extra detective to sort through the tips coming in from area residents.

Covelli said it was difficult to say how many of those are proving to be solid leads, but police are still encouraging people to call in any suspicious activity.

"Every tip is vetted and handed out based on priorities," he said. "It's why we rely, in any homicide, on the public getting involved."

Filenko said they think there is a "good probability" the suspects remain in the Fox Lake area.

Asked whether the suspects are believed to be armed, Filenko said, "I would consider anyone who murdered a police officer extremely dangerous."

As the weekend approaches, investigators are considering a new strategy in the search, but Filenko said more details would not be available until Friday.
Share on Google Plus

About JULIA

This is a short description in the author block about the author. You edit it by entering text in the "Biographical Info" field in the user admin panel.
    Blogger Comment
    Facebook Comment