More than 100 police officers using air and canine units were searching northern Illinois on Tuesday afternoon for three suspects believed to be involved in the fatal shooting of a 30-year veteran police officer, officials said.
Fox Lake Police Lieutenant Charles Joseph Gliniewicz was found wounded on Tuesday morning after calling in to communications that he was in pursuit of three suspects, and died later.
Officials declined to confirm a report on CNN and a Fox network affiliate that one of the suspects was in custody. They have only described them as two white males and one black male.
"Today, not only did Fox Lake lose a family member, I lost a very dear friend," Fox Lake Mayor Donny Schmit told a news conference.
Gliniewicz, a father of four boys and a decorated officer, was known around the village as "G.I. Joe" and dedicated to Fox Lake and his fellow officers, Schmit said.
Police with dogs and helicopters continued to search woods and swampy areas after three suspects fled the scene where Gliniewicz was shot.
Lake County Sheriff's Office spokesman Christopher Covelli said local residents should remain inside and report suspicious activity.
The shooting occurred after Gliniewicz told his police department he was pursuing three suspects on foot. When back-up officers arrived, they found him shot and injured, Covelli said. He later died.
The suspects were on foot when the officer initially made contact with them, and they stole his firearm and other gear before fleeing the scene, media reports said.
The widespread manhunt encompassed a heavily wooded area about 40 miles (65 km) north of Chicago near the Wisconsin border and involved stopping trains, blocking roads and locking down schools.
Federal marshals, Illinois State Police and units from McHenry and Lake County Sheriff's offices, many with drawn rifles, were searching door-to-door.
The Federal Aviation Administration established a no-fly zone over the search area.
The one-day temporary flight restriction is "to provide a safe environment for law enforcement activities" and covers a radius of 2 nautical miles (3.7 km) from Fox Lake, the FAA said.
The FAA often sets such restrictions when there is a risk of collisions between news media helicopters and law enforcement helicopters.
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