Published: March 2, 2006
Local News: Roscoe, Rockton & South Beloit
Rockton police’s 2002 Officer of Year indicted
Dan Schroeder allegedly told a witness to lie about details of an incident in January.
By Chris Green
ROCKFORD REGISTER STAR
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ROCKTON — A veteran Rockton police officer was indicted Wednesday on a charge of solicitation of a person to obstruct justice.
Detective Dan Schroeder, 29, a member of the department since May 2001,
was arrested Wednesday. The charge stems from an incident that occurred
Jan. 19.
“Some allegations came to us secondhand that we thought were serious
enough to warrant an investigation,” said Rockton Police Chief Stephen
Dickson. “The results of that investigation ended in the indictment.”
A news release issued by the Winnebago County state’s attorney’s
office said Schroeder instructed a witness in a pending investigation
to refuse to cooperate with investigators and to misrepresent his
relationship with the witness.
Dickson said he asked the Illinois State Police to conduct the
investigation. Schroeder has been on paid leave since the investigation
began more than a month ago.
Dickson did not know whether Schroeder will remain on paid leave.
“Now that he has been indicted, I’ll have to refer everything over to the Fire and Police Commission,” he said.
Schroeder posted $350, the required 10 percent of his $3,500 bond,
and was released from the Winnebago County Jail. His next court
appearance is Wednesday.
Solicitation to obstruct justice is a Class 4 felony punishable by one to three years in prison.
Schroeder was the department’s 2002 Officer of the Year.
Contact: 815-987-1241; cgreen@rrstar.com
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