Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A Richton Park woman is facing a DUI charge after an officer saw her allegedly striking a curb while driving on Sauk Trail.
PFPD: DUI Charge After Striking a Curb
Police arrested Jatina M. Cathey, 31, 22075 Brook Ave., Richton Park, on November 11 and charged her with driving under the influence of alcohol, two counts of improper lane usage, driving while license was suspended, and illegal transportation of alcohol. Police also charged her with one count of resisting/obstructing a peace officer.
Striking the Curb
An officer on patrol at 12:40 AM was stopped at the red light at Sauk Trail and Western Avenue facing eastbound. The officer was on Sauk Trail. While there, the officer saw a black Ford Escape traveling northbound on Western Avenue from Monee Road. The Ford turned left onto westbound Sauk Trail, allegedly striking the curb in front of a home on Sauk Trail, according to police.
Another vehicle nearly missed striking the Ford, according to police.
The officer conducted a U-turn and drove westward on Sauk Trail to catch up with the Ford. He saw that the vehicle’s right tires were allegedly riding on the striped lane divider from Meota Street to Westwood Drive, according to police.
After passing Westwood Drive, the Ford “veered to the right and continued westbound, splitting both westbound lanes of traffic,” according to the report.
A short time later, the officer activated the emergency lighting on his patrol vehicle. The officer saw the car begin to brake. But it then allegedly veered to the right, again splitting both westbound traffic lanes, according to police.
Police: Car Almost Stops in the Middle of Left Lane
The car then slowed down and almost stopped in the middle of the left lane, police said. It continued westward and pulled into the Mobile Gas Station at 3600 Sauk Trail, according to police.
The officer approached the vehicle on the driver’s side and spoke with the driver, who was later identified as Jatina Cathey. Asking for her driver’s license and insurance, Ms. Cathey said she had insurance and began searching her phone for it.
Police: Driver Said She Was from Steger
She went on to explain that she was trying to make it to her grandmother’s house from her home in Steger, according to police. According to the report, she told the officer she was unaware of striking the curb near Western Avenue.
According to the report, Ms. Cathey could not find her driver’s license. She subsequently gave the officer her name and date of birth. However, she initially gave the officer her maiden name, “Jones,” according to police.
Officer Suspects Intoxication
While speaking with her, the officer noted that she had bloodshot and glassy eyes, slurred speech, and there was an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her breath, according to police. According to police, the officer also saw a bottle of Hennessy on her lap, partially underneath her small dog. When the officer asked Ms. Cathey what time she had her last drink, she stared into the distance for about eight seconds, according to police. She then allegedly replied, “I want to say like two,” according to the report.
Ms. Cathey then clarified that her last drink was at 2 PM the previous day, according to police.
Claims Liquor on Her Lap Isn’t Hers
The officer then asked about the bottle of liquor on her lap. Ms. Cathey allegedly said that the bottle was not hers, police said. She reportedly said she had some friends with her.
The officer asked her to be honest about her last drink as he could smell alcohol on her breath, according to police. He asked her if her last drink was a couple of hours ago. She allegedly responded, “No, uh they champagne not like an alcoholic beverage like a um it was black and pink,” according to the report.
Other officers arrived on the scene to assist.
The officer who pulled Ms. Cathey over asked that she exit the car to perform field sobriety tests. She allegedly agreed to do so. After the tests, the officer informed Ms. Cathey that he was arresting her on suspicion of DUI.
Police: Driver Begins to Struggle with Officers
The officer then grabbed her left wrist and brought it to the rear of her person while the other officer took hold of her right arm. Ms. Cathey allegedly began to tense her arms and pull them forward away from the officers, according to police.
Both officers struggled with Ms. Cathey until they were able to secure her in handcuffs, according to police.
Police also go on in the report that Ms. Cathey allegedly did not cooperate at the police station. At one point, she reportedly refused to walk to a bench in the booking room so officers could remove the handcuffs, according to police. After they removed the cuffs, she allegedly continued to struggle with them, according to police.
According to the report, Ms. Cathey refused to submit to a breathalyzer test.
Later, at around 5:10 AM, an officer gave Ms. Cathey a ride to her home, according to the report.
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.
Police captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras by officers at the respective scenes, according to police. 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.
