CHICAGO — Authorities will announce that a northern Illinois police officer whose shooting death led to a massive manhunt in September killed himself, an official briefed on the crime investigation told The Associated Press.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office has called a Wednesday news conference to announce “conclusive results” of the investigation. The official spoke to the AP on Tuesday night on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief the media.
The investigation into the death of Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz determined that the Fox Lake officer died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, other media outlets reported Tuesday, all citing anonymous sources.
A spokesman for the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, Christopher Covelli, declined any comment Tuesday evening. The office said in a statement that it would not comment until the news conference.
Gliniewicz, a U.S. Army veteran affectionately known as “G.I. Joe,” radioed on Sept. 1 that he was chasing three suspicious men on foot. Backup officers later found his body 50 yards from his squad car.
Authorities said in October that the officer, 52, was shot with his own weapon.
After Gliniewicz’s shooting, a massive manhunt ensued, with hundreds of officers searching houses, cabins and even boats on a chain of area lakes. Authorities released a vague description of three suspects, though no one was ever arrested. Flags flew at half-staff in honor of the 30-year police veteran.
