Gregory Kulis
Courtesy of Gregory E. Kulis & Associates, Ltd.
When it was initially thought Fox Lake police Lt. Charles Joseph “Joe” Gliniewicz had been murdered, investigators quickly set their sights on finding the perpetrators.
Gliniewicz had radioed dispatchers on Sept. 1, 2015, to say he was in pursuit of three suspects: two white men and one Black man.
The ensuing search found three men — Raymond Willoughby, Damien Ward and Dan Cooper. All were questioned and eventually wound up suing authorities for being wrongfully detained.
According to the lawsuit, Willoughby was traveling in the woods near his home on the day of Gliniewicz’s death when he was handcuffed, held on the scene for about two hours and then taken to the Round Lake Police Department, where he was held for several more hours before being released.
The suit said Ward was leaving his home when he was confronted by Fox Lake police. He was handcuffed and taken into custody and given a gunshot residue test before being released, the suit said.
Cooper also was handcuffed and taken into custody by Fox Lake police, according to the lawsuit. At the station, it was alleged, he asked to leave but was “pushed around and told he couldn’t leave.” He was released after 10 hours, the suit said.
Their attorney, Gregory Kulis, also was involved in legal action filed by two other men — Preston Shrewsbury and Manuel Vargas. On Sept. 2, while a helicopter hovered above their house, they claimed, SWAT teams entered without a warrant, detained them, searched the residence and ordered them to provide their DNA, he said.
Kulis compares that search to a scene from the classic film “Casablanca,” in which police were ordered to “Round up the usual suspects.”
There was no evidence to tie the suspects to Gliniewicz’s death, he said.
Ultimately, he said, settlements were made with the three men who were initially detained.
In 2016, another settlement was reached with Vernon Randolph III, who was represented by attorney Kevin O’Connor.
Randolph said he was surrounded by ATF agents with guns pointed at him and his child and was subjected to search and interrogation. His home also was searched and subjected to “DNA swabbing.”
“Obviously, it was a (crummy) investigation,” Kulis said. “There was evidence that (Gliniewicz) committed suicide. They knew that he was being investigated.”
Gerald Steele is the founder of Stonegate Health Rehab. He shares expert insights, recovery tips, and rehab resources to support individuals on their journey to wellness.