Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—Police arrested a Chicago man and charged him with a felony on Christmas: aggravated unlawful use of a weapon. The complainant said she was afraid of the man and told him to get out of her car.
This and other reports follow.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Beginning December 25, 2024
Aggravated UUW: A Felony Charge for Christmas
Officials charged a Chicago man with felony aggravated unlawful use of a weapon on Christmas day. Police arrested Jalen D Blackwell, 31, of the 8200 block of S. Sangamon St., Chicago, on December 25, and charged him with one felony count of aggravated unlawful use of a weapon (no FOID) and one count of possession of ammunition without a FOID.
Police responded to an address on Choate Road at 1:11 PM to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance. SouthCom Dispatch advised that a woman was crying loudly, thank you, and a man wearing a black jacket carrying a black backpack left the scene on foot.
The complainant said she and Jalen D. Blackwell recently left a home in Homewood, Illinois. While driving, they argued. The complainant alleged that Mr. Blackwell was irate and yelling at her during the argument. She attempted to drop him off at his friend’s home on Birch Street, but she stopped in front of a house on Choate Road and told him to exit her vehicle.
Complainant Alleges Man Had a Gun
She told police she was afraid of Mr. Blackwell because of how he acted. She began recording him, according to police. Mr. Blackwell allegedly grabbed her cell phone, got out of her car, and smashed the phone onto the ground, shattering the screen. He then grabbed his black backpack from the vehicle and walked away westbound, according to police.
A responding officer saw the woman’s cell phone. The screen was completely shattered and the phone did not function.
Another officer arrived on the scene and spoke with the person who called 911. This person told the officer that the woman had informed him that Mr. Blackwell had a handgun in the backpack. Another officer located Mr. Blackwell. The black backpack contained a Glock 45 handgun, according to police.
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Breanna R. Wallace, 34, of the 300 block of Mohawk St., Park Forest, on December 27 and charged her with one count of domestic battery.
Police responded to a home on Mohawk Street at 3:20 PM to investigate a domestic battery complaint. The complainant alleged that Ms. Wallace became agitated and began throwing items around the house and garbage onto the floor in the laundry room. Ms. Wallace then allegedly began hitting the complainant and ripped three dreadlocks from his head, according to police.
No Valid Driver’s License (Never Issued)
Police arrested Semajay J. Price, 20, of the 22200 block of Clyde Ave., Sauk Village, on December 27 and charged him with no valid driver’s license (never issued) and possession of cannabis within a motor vehicle.
An officer traveling southbound on Allegheny Street approaching 26th Street saw a blue Hyundai sedan allegedly traveling westbound on 26th St. at a high rate of speed. The officer began to follow the Hyundai.
According to police, as soon as the officer was behind the vehicle, the driver immediately activated the turn signal but continued traveling westbound. The officer did not see a license plate affixed to the car; there was only what appeared to be an orange advertisement plate.
Driver Walks to a Vacant House
According to police, the officer followed the vehicle for well over a thousand feet when it turned north onto Allegheny Street. The vehicle then turned onto Arcadia Street and parked in front of a fire hydrant.
A man, later identified as Semajay J. Price, exited the Hyundai and began walking up to a home on Arcadia. According to police, the officer knew that the home was vacant. The officer contacted Mr. Price and asked what he was doing at a vacant address. Mr. Price responded that he was trying to go to his cousin’s house.
The officer instructed Mr. Price to return to the car and asked him for identification. According to police, Mr. Price said he did not have any identification but gave the officer a debit card with his name on it. The officer gathered Mr. Price’s middle initial and date of birth. Conducting a name inquiry, the officer learned that Mr. Price did not have a valid driver’s license. In fact, according to the report, a driver’s license was never issued to Mr. Price.
After a search of the vehicle, police found a clear plastic bag of suspect cannabis in the glove box of the car. The cannabis was not located in an odorless, childproof container, nor contained a dispensary label, police said.
Possession of Cannabis > 100g but less than 500g
Police arrested Curtis D. Shaw, 25, of the 8100 block of S. Chappel Ave., Chicago, on December 27 and charged him with possession of cannabis, greater than 100 g but less than 500, obstructing a peace officer, and parking where prohibited. While patrolling near Minocqua Street and Miami Street, an officer saw a Chevrolet at 8:48 PM that was allegedly parked where prohibited by a sign.
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.
