The Crystal Lake Police Department released further details regarding the arrest of an Oakwood Hills man accused of hiding an AR-15 rifle in a bush outside the Crystal Lake Public Library – including that the gun belongs to a Crystal Lake Police Department employee and had been misplaced.

Earlier this week, police issued a statement highlighting what they said were “inaccurate” reports that the weapon in question had been “recovered” from the bushes outside of the Crystal Lake Public Library.

The Northwest Herald had not reported that the weapon was recovered from library grounds, only that it was allegedly “concealed” there by the man who has been charged in the case, Robert J. Walker Jr. of Oakwood Hills. That’s according to a criminal complaint filed in McHenry County court, signed by a Crystal Lake law enforcement official.

A follow-up release by police Thursday reconfirmed that the weapon was, in fact, allegedly stashed “for a few hours” on the grounds of the library, which is within 1,000 feet of Husmann Elementary School. But police clarified that only came to light days later when they said they recovered the weapon and arrested Walker at a home near the school and the library.

Thursday’s release provided significant new details, including that the weapon in question belonged to an unidentified police department employee.

The Crystal Lake Police Department employee had “placed his personal rifle on the trunk of his vehicle in the garage” of his home near Crystal Lake on Sept. 21 when the employee’s wife unknowingly drove the car with the gun, which was in a case, still on top of the trunk, Crystal Lake Police Chief James Black said in the statement.

When she returned and the gun was missing, the employee filed a police report with the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office and notified Crystal Lake police. Through canvassing and reviewing video footage, investigators came to suspect the gun might have fallen off the vehicle within the city limits.

This was the first time police disclosed the detail about the gun belonging to a department employee, despite multiple previous requests by the Northwest Herald for more details and clarity.

Authorities allege the weapon was at some point recovered by Walker on Sept. 21 and that he briefly left it in the bushes at the library “because he was unable to make contact with the resident on McHenry Avenue.” Once the resident came home “a few hours” later that day, Walker is believed to have retrieved the gun from the bushes and placed it inside the home, the police statement said.

Walker, 50, lives in Oakwood Hills, according to official records; his connection to the McHenry Avenue home is unclear.

Walker has been charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, aggravated unlawful use of a weapon, possession of a weapon without a Firearm Owners Identification Card and possessing a firearm near a school, according to the criminal complaint.

Police went to the McHenry Avenue home about 9:30 a.m. Sept. 26 to conduct interviews regarding a “theft reported based on video evidence obtained,” Black said in the statement.

While there, police were “alerted to the presence of a firearm in the home,” which ultimately led to the arrest and charges filed against Walker, authorities said. The statement indicated police weren’t aware until Walker’s arrest and the recovery of the weapon that it had been previously allegedly hidden on library grounds.

“I hope this information helps put people at ease,” Black said in the statement. “... There were no threats made involving the possession of the firearm, and therefore there was no need to alert nearby schools, library or residents because there was no danger to them. There was no evidence to lead police to believe Mr. Walker had any intention of harming someone with the weapon.”

Black admits to clerical errors made on the criminal complaint filed at the McHenry County Courthouse by detectives that led to further confusion. Walker’s charge of possessing a weapon as a felon in a public place was dated on Sept. 26, the day he was arrested, rather than Sept. 21, when the crime allegedly was committed.

Black said the department “ordinarily limits the information publicly shared about criminal cases in order to avoid negative impacts on the prosecution of such cases.” But Black said the department determined it would be “appropriate to clarify certain events around the arrest of Mr. Walker to assure the community not only that it is safe but that it feels confident about its safety, which are utmost concerns of CLPD.”

The statement later said: “We have an excellent working relationship with School District 47 and District 155. We continually share information, provide input on safety plans, and participate in lock down drills at all our schools. I certainly understand the anger and fear that parents experienced based on the inaccurate information that has been reported. But had there been any sort of threat (perceived or credible) to the school, children or library, be assured that we would have immediately notified them and taken appropriate steps to ensure their safety.”

Black closed the two-page statement by stressing that while the firearm in question was personally owned by someone who was not on the job at the time, “nevertheless, the accidental loss of a firearm is a serious matter, and an internal affairs investigation is being conducted.

Court records show Walker was released with conditions following a detention hearing Saturday at the McHenry County Jail, according to court records show. Conditions for Walker include refraining from possessing a weapon including firearms, the court records indicate.

Prosecutors originally asked for Walker to be denied pretrial release, saying he presented a “real and present threat” to the community.

Court records show Walker was convicted in McHenry County of a 1993 felony burglary charge.

Walker is due back in court Oct. 24.