Bloomingdale cops on administrative leave while shooting probe continues
Bloomingdale police officers who fatally shot a Carol Stream man armed with a knife will be placed on administrative duty until after the investigation into the shooting is complete.
Julius Glover, 26, was shot Friday night after exiting a stolen vehicle following a traffic stop on the 1900 block of Chippendale Lane in Glendale Heights.
Authorities said Grover was moving rapidly toward officers while holding a knife in a threatening manner.
Bloomingdale Director of Public Safety Frank Giammarese on Monday said the DuPage County Major Crimes Task Force is investigating the shooting. The case eventually will be turned over to the DuPage County state's attorney's office, which will rule whether the shooting was justified.
The chain of events that led to the shooting began at 7:19 p.m. Friday when Glover took car keys from a woman in the Walmart at 314 W. Army Trail Road in Bloomingdale. When confronted by store employees, the man brandished a knife and fled, authorities said.
He found the woman's car in the parking lot, possibly by pressing the remote, and then drove away.
Officers saw the stolen car leaving the lot and followed it south on Schmale Road, east on Mill Pond Drive and then south on Chippendale Lane before it came to a stop less than a mile from the store.
As officers gave commands, Glover brandished a knife, then faced officers and quickly moved toward them holding the knife in a threatening manner, authorities said. Officers then shot Glover, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
Giammarese said he doesn't know how long the investigation will take.
Officers who were at the shooting have been taken off active duty to give them time to recover from the trauma.
"All officers that were on the scene were involved in something that you never wish to happen in your career," he said. "It's a tough situation for everyone involved. We want to make sure that they're OK."
He said he didn't know how many officers fired their weapons or how many times Glover was struck. Bloomingdale police do not wear body cameras and dash cameras did not record the confrontation.
Officers who fired their weapons won't be cleared for full duty until after the investigation is done.
"They will be brought back in an administrative function," Giammarese said. "But they will not be on the street until the investigation has been concluded."
He said the officers also will be evaluated and receive counseling before returning to full duty.
"They were involved in a traumatic situation," Giammarese said. "We have to make sure they're in a good place before they go back to the street."