Obituaries
Thousands Attend Service for Fox Lake Police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz
The father of four, remembered as a "hero" by family and friends, was killed in the line of duty last week.
The men who killed him remain at large, and a massive manhunt continues.
But on Monday, the community and fellow police officers from around the nation gathered to honor the man remembered as a hero, a friend, a father, a brother and a mentor. One of his four sons served as a pallbearer, and his wife, Mel, received hugs from a line of officers and other mourners beside a stage where a Fox Lake police dress uniform was on display.
The 18-mile funeral procession was filled with squad cars and motorcycles, and the streets were lined with flags and an appreciative public. Helicopters flew over the cemetery in the “missing man” formation. Gov. Bruce Rauner attended, and flags were ordered to half-staff until sundown on Monday.
At his funeral service in Antioch, Gliniewicz was posthumously awarded the Fox Lake Police Department Medal of Honor.
He was remembered as a “dad to about 1,000 others” in addition to his four sons because of his work with the Fox Lake Police Explorers. Young Police Explorers from several communities joined police in paying their respects on Monday.
His brother, Michael, a lieutenant in the Fox Lake Fire Department, spoke at the service: “When we were growing up, we all knew Joe was a hero. Now, a nation knows him as a hero. ... I love you, brother.”
More than 2,000 officers, from New York City to the western United States, attended the funeral. Several police officers delivered eulogies.
A retired Frankfort police officer, Jeff Dalton, spoke at the service, saying “Rest easy, my friend, We’ve got it from here.”
“We are with you, Joe,” said Joliet police officer Rachel Smith Berg, noting how Gliniewicz would run toward danger as others ran away. “And we know you will ways be with us.”
Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.