West Suburban Bureau

BOLINGBROOK, Ill. (CBS) ― Bolingbrook's chief of police lashed out Tuesday evening against former police sergeant Drew Peterson in a meeting to determine Peterson's future with the force. As CBS 2's Mai Martinez reports, it became official Tuesday – Peterson is off the force after his resignation was accepted.

The attorney for Bolingbrook's fire and police board said the board had no choice but to acknowledge Peterson's letter of resignation because state law does not allow them to not accept it. Peterson's former boss, however, was hoping the board would not accept Peterson's resignation because, in the chief's words, he wanted him fired.

"In my mind he has brought shame to this department," Bolingbrook Police Chief Raymond McGury said.

McGury wanted Peterson to face disciplinary action for alleged violations of departmental policies and procedures, instead of being allowed to retire.

"Throughout the course of this investigation, certain issues have been developed and raised that concern me enough to bring this forward to the board of police and fire commission to see his termination," McGury said.

He wouldn't say exactly what the violations Peterson is accused of are, but he did say they came to light as a result of the state's ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Peterson's wife, Stacy Peterson. Peterson has been named a suspect in her disappearance. 

McGury also said the incidents occurred over the past 12 months and were "severe internal violations of general orders."

McGury feels so strongly about the violations, he plans to present his findings to Will County State's Attorney James Glasgow for possible criminal prosecution.

While he made no effort to hide his anger for the shame he feels Peterson has brought to the Bolingbrook Police Department, McGury wanted to make clear the distinction between his personal and professional feelings about Peterson.

"Let me be clear on this, he's not been charged with anything, and I respect that, and I don't want to cast the inference that this man is guilty of anything because he's not been charged with anything," McGury said.

McGury says in the past three weeks, he and the officers in his department have received a number of death threats and e-mails accusing them of being dirty cops and protecting one of their own. He points out that Illinois state police, not Bolingbrook police, are handling the Stacy Peterson investigation.

Drew Peterson's Mother Defends Him In Media

Meanwhile, Peterson's mother is speaking out to defend her son. She tells the Chicago Sun-Times she believes her daughter-in-law, Stacy Peterson, left her family to be with another man.

Betty Morphey spoke to the Sun-Times Monday and the newspaper's headline on Tuesday read: "Drew's Mom's Message To Stacy: 'I'm ashamed of her for putting her family through this.'"

Morphey, also said, "I could swear on a bible that he would never hurt anyone at any time."

For his own part, when Peterson was asked by reporters on Monday "What's the hurt and pain," he laughed and said "The hurt and pain is all the media in front of my house, that's the hurt and pain."

Not that his wife is missing? "Yeah, it is the wife is missing, but right now, look at what's going on here."

The disappearance of Stacy Peterson more than three weeks ago put Drew Peterson in the center of a media storm, one he says he's trying to help his children weather.

"Sometimes I have heart-to-hearts with them individually and try to explain it to them the best I can, but that's the best I can do," Drew Peterson said.

In addition to his wife's disappearance, Peterson is also getting plenty of attention for the re-investigation of the death of his third wife, Kathleen Savio. Officials returned her body to its grave Monday after exhuming it for further autopsy work.

A forensic pathologist hired by the family has said he believes Savio's death was actually homicide.

A Will County Coroner's jury originally ruled it accidental. Their second autopsy confirmed it was a drowning, but has yet to rule on whether the death was accidental or murder.

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