Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- These reports close the two weeks of reports police sent us from November 16 to December 5, 2023. They end with a Park Forest man charged with driving while his license was suspended and a woman from Lansing charged with DUI alcohol.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports: Final Through December 5, 2023
Driving While License Suspended
Police arrested Tumar L. Moore, 27, 3526 Western Ave., Park Forest, on December 2, driving while his license was suspended, possession of ammunition without a FOID card, failure to signal, and having no insurance.
Police: Car Changes Lanes Without Signaling
An officer was patrolling at 12:07 PM when he saw a silver sedan in front of him allegedly move abruptly into a left turn lane without signaling, according to police. The car then activated its turn signal and turned into court H-3. According to police, the officer caught up with the vehicle in the parking lot of the court and activated the emergency lights of his squad to cause a traffic stop.
According to the report, the driver got out of the car and began to argue about the merits of the traffic stop. The officer instructed him to get back inside his vehicle but he allegedly refused, according to police.
The officer explained why he stopped Mr. Moore and asked for his driver’s license and proof of insurance. Mr. Moore reportedly said he didn’t have either and continued to argue without complying with the officer’s commands, according to police.
Another officer arrived on the scene.
Police: Driver Had Suspended Driving Privileges & Warrant
Mr. Moore provided his name and date of birth. Police learned that he had suspended driving privileges. He also had a valid arrest warrant out of the Will County Sheriff’s Office on a charge of driving while his license was suspended, according to police. One of the officers was also aware that a former police officer previously wanted Mr. Moore regarding a hit-and-run accident that occurred in July 2022, according to police.
Police arrested Mr. Moore. They conducted an inventory of his car and found a live round of 9 mm ammunition bearing a stamp FC 9MM LUGER. Police seized the round for evidence, according to the report.
DUI Alcohol
Police arrested Melissa D. Winston, 38, 18302 Wildwood Ave., Lansing, on December 3 and charged her with DUI – alcohol and speeding more than 26 mph over the posted limit.
An officer driving westbound on Lincoln Highway towards Brookwood at 12:32 AM saw several vehicles heading eastbound, one allegedly traveling at a high rate of speed. That car reportedly exceeded 60 mph, where the posted speed limit was 40 mph. This vehicle then allegedly reached 70 mph, leaving other vehicles far behind it, according to police.
The officer turned his squad around to catch up with the white SUV vehicle. He increased his speed to 60 mph, activating the emergency lights and siren, according to police. According to the report, the officer had to increase the speed to 87 mph to catch up with the white SUV.
The white SUV, a 2015 GMC Acadia, came to a stop by the right curb on Lincoln Highway west of the Hilltop intersection, according to police. According to police, one person was in the car: Melissa D Winston.
Toward a DUI – Alcohol: “Oh, okay.”
Asked why she was going so fast, Ms. Winston answered that she didn’t think she was going fast and didn’t see her speedometer, according to the report. The officer told her he clocked her driving 70 mph where the posted speed limit was 40 mph. Ms. Winston allegedly replied, “Oh, okay,” according to the report.
While speaking with her, the officer reportedly smelled an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her breath. According to the report, he also noticed that she had glossy and watery eyes. Due to these factors, plus the alleged speeding, the officer asked her to perform a standardized field sobriety test. She agreed, according to the report.
Police: Results of Test Suggest DUI – Alcohol
After the test, detailed in the report’s narrative, the officer placed her under arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. At 1:33 AM, at the Park Forest Police Department, Ms. Winston refused to perform a breathalyzer test. According to the report, she had a preliminary court date of January 2, 2024, at the Markham Courthouse.
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.
