A vigil to honor the memory of Lieutenant Gliniewicz will be held tonight at 6:00pm at Lakefront Park, 71 Nippersink Blvd, Fox Lake, Illinois.
(FOX LAKE) A massive manhunt continues late Tuesday afternoon in north suburban Fox Lake after a police officer was shot and killed, and his service weapon taken earlier in the day.
Police and a family member said the slain officer is Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, a veteran of the Fox Lake police who is married with four children. He is known to most as Joe.
An Army veteran with the nickname “G.I. Joe,” the officer worked for 32 years on the Fox Lake force, according to Terry Resetar, his mother-in-law.
Gliniewicz had four sons, now teenagers and adults, Resetar said.
“He was getting to retire,” Resetar said, her voice breaking.
Asked if Gliniewicz, of Antioch, enjoyed being an officer, Resetar said, “Oh God, he loved it.”
State Rep. Barb Wheeler of Crystal Lake released a statement, saying: “Eleven police officers have needless lost their lives since Aug. 20th alone in America because of shootings and sadly our communities have been directly impacted today.
“As information continues to come in about the shooting of another police officer in the line of duty in Fox Lake, I hope we can all remain calm and pray for the officer’s family and the other officers in harms-way right now, ” Wheeler said.
Resetar said her family “will be OK.”
“What can you say, hun?” she told a reporter.
“The oldest [grandchild] called me this morning to be sure I was OK,” she said.
Asked if she had a message for those responsible for her son-in-law’s death, she said,”You don’t want my message to them.”
Resetar said her daughter and son-in-law went out to dinner last weekend to celebrate both of their August birthdays.
“Oh God,” she said.
SWAT vehicles and multiple helicopters were involved in a massive manhunt to find the killers of the officer, who was gunned down about 8 a.m.
Resident Mike Willin said he was watching television this morning about 9:30 a.m. when he saw the commotion.
“I saw the helicopters right above my house,” he said. “I thought, maybe it’s time for me to leave.”
Willin said police thoroughly checked him and his truck when he drove away from his home near Rollins Road and Route 59. He doesn’t plan to return home until the fugitives are caught.
Christina Barcal said the Fox Ridge subdivision where she lives, near Routes 12 and 59, has been locked down all day.
“This is crazy, they think they are hiding behind my house so I can’t go home,” Barcal said.
Barcal said people who left their homes were not allowed to return; however, people who were at home were told not to leave.
“My neighbor’s dogs had to go out so an officer took her dogs out to pee,” she said.
Gina Maria, a kindergarten teacher who lives in Fox Lake but works in Barrington, said she promptly left her class with a substitute when she got a message from her son about the lockdown at Grant High School.
“I’m here supporting law enforcement officers letting people know that police lives matter,” she said.
At 7:52 a.m., Gliniewicz made contact with three suspicious male subjects, authorities said.
Gliniewicz said on his radio that he was running after the suspects when communication was lost. A backup officer responded and found the officer injured with a gunshot wound.
An officer could be heard on the scanner saying: ” … send everybody you possibly can … officer is down …”
All residents were being asked to remain inside and call 911 if they see anything suspicious.
School District 15 in McHenry said on its website that all schools were put on soft lockdown “as a precaution” due to “police activity in Fox Lake.”
Also on soft lockdown were Gavin South Middle School and Gavin Central Elementary School in Ingleside; as well as Grant High in Fox Lake.
Metra has closed its Ingleside station due to the ongoing police activity. Commuters are advised to use the Long Lake or Fox Lake stations instead.
Several area roads are also closed.
—Chicago Sun-Times and Chicago Sun-Times Wire
