08/07/2026
Well deserved congratulations and honor to frequent Knollwood shooter, Mike Umbenhower, on his retirement!
After 30 years in law enforcement, it's difficult to put his entire career into a few paragraphs.
Mike Umbenhower had the privilege of serving in a variety of assignments, including the Patrol Tactical Team, Special Operations Group, Property Crimes Unit, Crimes Against Persons Unit, Arson Investigations, the Will County Major Crimes Task Force, and the Will County Officer-Involved Shooting Team.
Along the way, Mike was honored to receive numerous Chief's Commendations, Awards of Excellence, and Meritorious Awards for investigations involving armed robberies, narcotics, shootings, sexual assaults, kidnappings, and homicides—including helping solve a homicide cold case dating back to 1972.
The awards were never the reason for doing his job. Every case represented someone whose life had been turned upside down, a family searching for answers, or a victim who deserved justice.
He was fortunate to work alongside outstanding officers, detectives, prosecutors, firefighters, forensic specialists, and countless others who shared the same commitment.
A career spent standing up to people who chose to hurt others.
