CHICAGO (CBS) — A retired Chicago police officer was released from jail after posting bond on Tuesday, the Associated Press reports.
Earlier in the day, Joseph Battaglia made an unsuccessful bid for reduced bail on charges he threatened Lake County officials investigating the shooting death of Fox Lake Police Lt. Charles Joseph Gliniewicz.
Battaglia was ordered held on $100,000 bond, meaning he must come up with $10,000 to get out of jail.
His attorney, Myron Goldstin, told a Lake County judge the retired officer might have committed “a very stupid, reckless act,” but said Battaglia is not a flight risk, or a danger to the public.
“Mr. Battaglia is not a violent person. He has never harmed anyone, and I believe if he did make the statements that he’s alleged to have made, they were made out of frustration, because, as a former police officer, he was naturally – as everyone else is – concerned about the investigation,” Goldstin told reporters afterward.
The judge denied the request for lower bail, citing the seriousness of the charges.
Battaglia, 54, is charged with two counts of felony disorderly conduct. Police have said he made threatening phone calls to authorities investigating Gliniewicz’s death. He allegedly threatened to harm investigators in the case, including officials with the Lake County Coroner, and the Lake County Major Crimes Task Force, unless Gliniewicz’s death was ruled a homicide. Battaglia has not had any involvement with the investigation.
