Hundreds attend vigil for Ill. officer near retirement

Associated Press

FOX LAKE, Ill.

Charles Joseph Gliniewicz was on the brink of retiring after a 30-year career in law enforcement. At 52, the tattooed police officer with a shaved head still could be tough and intimidating if the job called for it.

But he also had a sweet side that endeared him to the suburban Chicago village he had served for decades, a place where he was a constant presence at community events and a role model. Now the people of Fox Lake are mourning the officer known affectionately as “G.I. Joe” after he detoured on his way to work to pursue three suspicious men into a swamp. He ended up with a fatal gunshot wound and died Tuesday.

Hundreds of people gathered at a Fox Lake park late Wednesday for a vigil in memory of Gliniewicz.

The officer’s widow, Melanie Gliniewicz, took to a stage in Lakefront Park surrounded by her sons. She thanked the people attending the vigil and those offering their support and prayers.

“My world got a little bit smaller with his passing, and he will truly be missed by all of us,” she said, adding her husband was her “best friend, my hero, the love of my life for the last 261/2 years.”

A minister, Mike Johnson, said Gliniewicz died serving the community and was about helping others. He asked the crowd who among them would replace him.

Earlier Wednesday, longtime friend Tammy Rivette wiped away tears as she remembered the father of four sons who was “always helping people” and “always fair.”

“Even the criminals liked him,” she said.

Mayor Donny Schmit, a close friend for three decades, recalled how when Gliniewicz would respond after being told something: “Roger that.”

“Every morning he said he was vertical and caffeinated. These are the things about Joe I’m going to miss,” the mayor said.