December 26, 2024
Crime & Courts | Northwest Herald


Crime & Courts

Illinois State Police officer charged with DUI in Crystal Lake is on 'restricted duty'

An Illinois State Police officer accused of driving under the influence through Crystal Lake in an unmarked police vehicle has been placed on restricted duty, officials confirmed Tuesday.

Matthew Konie was charged in McHenry County with driving under the influence of alcohol following his Feb. 1 arrest. Konie, a master sergeant with Illinois State Police Department, earned $167,000 last year and received his most recent paycheck April 5, Illinois comptroller records show.

Konie was placed on restricted duty immediately after he was arrested, ISP Sgt. Jacqueline Cepeda said in an email Tuesday afternoon. It wasn’t immediately clear in what capacity Konie has been working for the state police. ISP representatives previously had declined to comment on the matter.

“The officer you inquired about has been placed on restricted duty and police powers are currently suspended pending the outcome of the internal investigation, and court proceedings,” Cepeda wrote in the email.

Konie driver’s license was temporarily suspended, but he now has it back.

Last month, Konie’s attorney Edward Donahue filed a request to rescind the suspension of Konie’s license. McHenry County Judge Mark Gerhardt ruled that police didn’t have reasonable grounds to believe that Konie was under the influence of alcohol when they made the arrest.

Prosecutors have filed a motion asking Gerhardt to reconsider his decision. The state’s attorney’s office will argue its case Thursday in court.

Konie caught the attention of Crystal Lake police on Feb. 1 when he began intermittently activating the lights and sirens on his unmarked vehicle, police reports show. Crystal Lake police followed the vehicle briefly before stopping the driver for speeding.

Konie, who was off duty at the time, struggled to park the vehicle, and set off the lights and sirens once more before speaking with officers, according to reports.

Officers described Konie throughout their reports as having smelled strongly of alcohol. Throughout his interaction with police, he struggled to speak, balance and perform simple tasks, they said.

Konie allegedly told police he and his unnamed passenger were on their way back to Lake in the Hills, where Konie lives, after an afternoon "downtown" with friends, according to police reports.

Katie Smith

Katie Smith

Katie reported on the crime and courts beat for the Northwest Herald from 2017 through 2021. She began her career with Shaw Media in 2015 at the Daily Chronicle in DeKalb, where she reported on the courts, city council, the local school board, and business.