Fox Lake suspends 3 police officers over unnecessary force in jail altercation videos

FOX LAKE – A Fox Lake police detective and two officers have been suspended without pay after admitting they applied unnecessary force to an allegedly intoxicated man at the village's jail during his arrest late last year, officials announced Friday.

The altercation was captured by two cameras mounted in cell blocks and released by village officials after a news conference Friday. The videos show officers arguing with Jeffrey Grzonka, 36, who officials said had made threats, placed his clothes over cameras and spit on an officer after his Dec. 5, 2014, arrest for public intoxication.

In three short videos, police are seen pushing Grzonka onto a concrete bench and into a metal door. At one point, a detective grabs Grzonka by the neck while appearing to hold him against the bench before the detective puts his arms under Grzonka's legs and flips him onto his back. Meanwhile, other officers stand by.

“[Grzonka’s] disorderly behavior, while inexcusable, did not authorize or justify these officers’ conduct,” Village Administrator Anne Marrin said, adding Grzonka declined to file a complaint or obtain medical treatment upon his release the next day.

“... His declination, however, does not eliminate the officers’ duty to act with restraint and keep their emotions in check,” she added, “More importantly, it certainly did not justify a failure to report or investigate this incident.”

Marrin identified the officers involved as Detective Jason Baldowsky, 17-year veteran of the force; and Officers Shane Campion and Eric Ewald, who both have been with the department for four years.

Baldowsky was suspended a total of 20 days, serving four of those days after former Police Chief Michael Behan’s “superficial” review of the altercation in December, Marrin said. Campion has been suspended 30 days, and Ewald will serve a 10-day suspension, Marrin said.

A fourth officer, who Marrin identified as 10-year veteran Russell Zander, also was present during the incident, but has not been disciplined as he denies his actions violated Fox Lake Police Department policies. He has been placed on paid administrative leave, she said.

She added the village paid Grzonka a $4,000 settlement.

Officials alerted the Lake County State’s Attorney and the FBI to the incident. Lake County State’s Attorney’s spokeswoman Cynthia Vargas said the matter was being handled by the U.S. Department of Justice.

The incident started the morning of Dec. 5, 2014, after officers responded to an undisclosed incident at 16 Lilac Ave. that resulted in police arresting Grzonka, who officials said was a homeless man well-known to officers.

Friday’s announcement came about four months after officials launched an internal investigation into the incident. Marrin said she first learned of the incident in March.

Behan repeatedly refused her requests for documentation, Marrin said. She learned in July there was minimal documentation, and the investigation “was not as thorough as it could have been.”

In August, the village launched an internal investigation, placing Behan and Baldowsky on paid administrative leave. Behan days later announced he was retiring.

While Marrin said the village would support and assist in any criminal prosecution of the officers, she refused to say whether she believed criminal charges were warranted or if there was a cover-up.

The department is currently under the leadership of two Lake County Sheriff's officials who were appointed in the wake of the Sept. 1 shooting death of Fox Lake Lt. Joseph Gliniewicz.

At the time, officials believed Gliniewicz had been shot and killed in the line of duty. But police later learned Gliniewicz had killed himself amid fears officials would discover he had embezzled thousands from the youth police program he ran.

Gliniewicz was not involved in the 2014 incident, officials have said. However, he was asked to help in the inventory of the police department’s assets after Behan’s retirement.

Fox Lake officials have denied or not responded to the Northwest Herald’s Freedom of Information Act requests for Behan’s records.

Marrin said officials are reviewing other incidents while also performing an overhaul of the department’s policies and procedures to ensure that employees are held responsible for their actions.

“I’m also proud to say that reforms at the Fox Lake Police Department are underway,” Marrin said. “Both this incident and the news of the embezzlement scheme concocted by Joe Gliniewicz are stark reminders of what can happen when officers are not held accountable.”