Fallen Fox Lake Officer Gliniewicz Was Shot Twice With His Own Weapon: Authorities

By Kate Shepherd in News on Oct 1, 2015 7:30PM

Nearly a month after the shooting death of Fox Lake police officer Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz, authorities aren't much closer to figuring out who shot him.

He was shot twice with his own gun, once in the right side front of his protective vest and once in the upper left chest area, George Filenko, the commander of the Lake County Major Crime Task Force, said at a press conference Thursday, according to the Tribune.

Authorities have been investigating whether his death was actually an elaborately-planned suicide but tests were unable to determine whether he fired his own service weapon, according to Filenko. There were signs of a struggle at the scene.

"In layman's terms, the weapon could have been fired by Lt. Gliniewicz, or he could have been in close proximity to the weapon being fired," Filenko said.

Gliniewicz was walking around in the area near the crime scene and, shortly before the shooting, Gliniewicz told a dispatcher that he was going to pursue two white males and one black male. Officers found him shot and missing his gear in a remote marsh. His .40-caliber service weapon was recovered nearby.

Surveillance video from the area showed three men matching Gliniewicz's description, but they were interviewed and ruled out as suspects. A national manhunt for the alleged killers turned up nothing.

Authorities have not determined the manner of death, Detective Christopher Covelli of the Lake County sheriff's office told the Tribune last week. His death is still being investigated as a homicide because of his description of the men.

Investigators did recover nine unidentified DNA samples from the scene and tests show that one belongs to a male, according to Filenko.

"DNA is always significant. Until we identify it, we can't eliminate any possibility," Filenko said.

Lake County authorities released this new information about the "extraordinarily complex" investigation in order to be transparent.

"I've heard the word conspiracy quite often," Filenko said.