Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—A Park Forest man allegedly fired a weapon inside a home. The situation was de-escalated after police arrived. The man now faces a charge of aggravated discharge of a firearm. If convicted, he could face years in prison.
Police arrested Marshon L. Richardson, 42, Park Forest, on April 28th and charged him with aggravated discharge of a firearm, a felony, and domestic battery.
Police responded to a home on Westwood Drive at 1:21 AM to investigate a domestic battery complaint. While on their way, SouthCom Dispatch advised that someone called 911 and said they no longer needed police assistance. SouthCom Dispatch told police the caller called a second time and alleged that her boyfriend had a gun and fired a shot inside the residence, according to police. Dispatchers told responding officers the caller had left the home and was waiting in a black Chevrolet Trax, according to police.
Complainant’s Allegations: Argument After Alcohol
When police arrived, they found the black Chevrolet with the caller inside. She said she was at home with Marshon Richardson. They both had been drinking, she told police. She alleged that she and Mr. Richardson had an argument, and he flipped over a table in the living room, according to police. He then allegedly grabbed her by the throat, according to police.
According to the report, he then reportedly said she was going to make him hurt her. He allegedly retrieved a firearm, according to police. She was not sure where Mr. Richardson got the gun from because she was on the ground, according to police. She said the firearm was a handgun, and Mr. Richardson allegedly fired it toward the ceiling, according to police.
After he reportedly fired the weapon, she said he told her, “See what the f**k you made me do?”
The woman said Mr. Richardson was alone inside the house and gave an officer his cell phone number. A Commander asked that an officer from the Matteson Police Department and Olympia Fields Police Department assist with the perimeter. The Commander made numerous attempts to speak with Mr. Richardson by telephone. Mr. Richardson did not answer the calls, according to police.
Police Alert SSERT
The Commander then contacted the South Suburban Emergency Response Team (SSERT) and advised them of the situation.
After notifying SSERT, an officer used the PA system on his squad car to command Mr. Richardson to leave the home through the front door with his hands in the air. After several requests, he did so. According to police, Mr. Richardson complied with the commands and exited the home through the front door.
An officer instructed him to walk towards the street with his hands in the air, and he complied. Officers subsequently took him into custody.
Situation De-escalates
The commander from Park Forest contacted SSERT and called them off, according to police.
At around 2:03 AM, an officer read Mr. Richardson his rights. Two other officers witnessed this. Asked if he understood his rights, Mr. Richardson allegedly said he did and wanted to speak with officers, according to police.
He said his home was “torn up,” his shirt ripped from him, and his face was “scarred up,” according to police. He alleged he was protecting himself from the person who attacked him, according to police.
An officer saw blood on the right side of Mr. Richardson’s nose and what appeared to be a scratch Mark along his right cheek, according to police. According to the report, he allegedly gave officers permission to enter his home and take a look, but then he changed his mind. Police said he told them there were no weapons inside the house.
Detectives Secure a Warrant
The Commander at the scene said officers needed to enter the home to retrieve the firearm. According to police, Mr. Richardson allegedly said his weapon was his weapon and that he understood his rights. He did not permit officers to enter his home to search for the weapon. He said he needed to speak with someone before he gave consent.
Police transported Mr. Richardson to the Park Forest Police Department, where they swabbed his hands for gunpowder particles using a field test kit, according to police. A Park Forest Detective responded to the police department and interviewed Mr. Richardson. The detective then obtained a search warrant for the home.
About Police Reports
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those police arrested and charged committed any offenses. We report on what is in the reports that the police furnish to us. As those accused are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.
eNews Park Forest has continuously published the addresses of those arrested and will continue to do so. 5 ILCS 140/2.15 states that the governmental body (for these reports, the Police Department), shall release information on those charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.
Presumption of Innocence
An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. The law presumes all those whom police arrest are innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest not to remove items from the public record from publication. Suppose you find your name in the police reports. Our policy is that we will only add information relevant to the final disposition of the case at hand, e.g., “Mr. Smith was subsequently acquitted,” “Mr. Smith entered a guilty plea,” or “All charges against Mr. Smith were subsequently dropped.” We will do so upon receiving and verifying proof of such disposition.
We do not strike, “unpublish,” or delete news.
According to police, officers captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras at the respective scenes. All Park Forest police officers wear body-worn cameras. Officials typically abbreviate these devices as BWC in the reports.
We encourage persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters, including narcotics or gang activity, to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.
