Patch Appeals FOIA Denial In Sniper Shooting To AG's Office

JOLIET, IL — For more than 11 months, the Illinois State Police and Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow have withheld public access to the video footage showing the May 10, 2022, Romeoville bank shooting of a 65-year-old Crest Hill resident by Will County Sheriff's sniper John Allen. Joliet Patch recently appealed its Freedom of Information Act denial letter from the Illinois State Police to the Public Access Counselor's Office of Attorney General Attorney Kwame Raoul.

Several weeks ago, Illinois State Police officials informed Joliet Patch that it was the Will County State's Attorney's Office of Jim Glasgow — not their agency — that has been responsible for keeping the bank videos of the sheriff's sniper shooting off-limits to the public.

"The State’s Attorney’s Office appropriately releases information in a timely manner, which is determined by the interests of fairness and justice," Will County State's Attorney's spokeswoman Carole Cheney notified Joliet Patch on March 10. "We must always protect the rights of a defendant throughout the investigation, including before the grand jury and at trial, as fiercely as we do the rights of all crime victims and witnesses. Releasing information before the investigation and review of a matter is completed would hinder the ability of this Office to uncover information through interviews and other means without that information being tainted by public release of investigatory files, which here include the police body camera footage."

Last week, Shannon Barnaby, senior assistant attorney general in the Public Access Bureau, sent a letter to the Illinois State Police explaining that "The Public Access Bureau has received the attached Request for Review of the response by the Illinois State Police to a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Mr. John Ferak. This office has determined that further action is warranted."

Joliet Patch's original FOIA sent to the Illinois State Police in February sought copies of "any and all Fifth Third Bank video camera surveillance that the Illinois State Police obtained of this incident, both inside and outside the bank, including (Gregory Walker's) shooting by Will County Sheriff's Lt. Allen."

Patch's appeal of the Illinois State Police's FOIA denial, sent to the Attorney General's Office for their review, stated in part that, "The Illinois State Police, the investigating agency, has refused to release the videos of this shooting even though it is common practice for Illinois police agencies to release within a timely fashion the videos of police shootings for the sake of public transparency.

"Even more curious about this particular case, the Illinois State Police now maintains that it presented its investigation into the police officer involved shooting way back on July 18, 2022. In other words, this case has been on the desk of Will County State's Attorney Jim Glasgow since last summer.

"To recap, this high-profile, police officer involved shooting in Will County garnered significant Chicago TV news coverage at the time of Mr. Walker' s death at the Romeoville bank 11 months ago. Not only has the Illinois State Police withheld releasing the videos of the events surrounding Mr. Walker' s death, but there has not been an explanation given as to why Will County Sheriff' s Lt. sniper John Allen fatally shot Mr. Walker as he was exiting the bank with no apparent weapon in his hands."

On Feb. 21, Joliet Patch published an exclusive story, revealing that the Florida sister of 65-year-old Crest Hill resident Gregory Walker, who raised his hands in the air during a peaceful surrender at Romeoville's Fifth Third Bank more than nine months ago, has filed a federal civil rights wrongful death lawsuit against Will County Sheriff's Office sniper John Allen.

The lawsuit also names Sheriff Mike Kelley, who promoted Allen to a lieutenant just three months before the shooting happened.

"Mr. Walker was not in possession of a firearm at the time he was shot by Deputy John Allen," the lawsuit against the Will County Sheriff's lieutenant states. "Deputy John Allen shot Mr. Walker despite that Mr. Walker was unarmed and posed no threat to any other person."

Related Joliet Patch coverage:

Will Co. Sheriff's Sniper Killed Man, 65, Who Surrendered: Lawsuit

Glasgow: No Decision On Charges In Sheriff's Deadly Shooting At Bank

Video Of Surrendering Man Killed By Will Co. Sniper Won't Be Released