Local Police Reports, Park Forest

Battery To Officer Among Charges: Park Forest Police Blotter Reports June 5-11, 2018


Officer Time Jones
Park Forest Police Officer Tim Jones (Image Provided)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Editor’s Note: These Park Forest Police blotter reports cover June 5 through June 11, 2018. Among charges during this week was a battery to a police officer, resisting a peace officer, driving while license was suspended, and domestic battery.

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eNews Park Forest reports this information because the public in the United States has the right to know.  When that information is withheld or under-reported, it leaves questions.  We also want to show the work that the police force does every day that is not reported.  Police in Park Forest respond to thousands of calls per year, the vast majority of which do not entail arrests.  Whether it’s conducting a routine investigation, pulling over a drunk driver, or responding to a possible theft at a store, the work of the police officer deserves acknowledgment by the public.

eNews Park Forest has always published 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 who have been charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.

An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. All those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest to not remove items in the public record from publication. If your name is listed in the police reports, 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.

Persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters including narcotics or gang activity are encouraged to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.

Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through June 11, 2018

Battery to a Peace Officer

Mitchell L. Williams, 25, 537 Concord Court, Chicago Heights, was arrested on June 5 and charged with battery to a peace officer, resisting a peace officer, possession of a controlled substance, manufacture and delivery of a controlled substance, failure to signal when required, operation of a motor vehicle with expired registration, disobeying a traffic control signal, and use of an electronic communication device while driving.

An officer patrolling at 12:50 AM observed the vehicle Mr. Williams was driving on Indianwood Boulevard from Marquette Street make a U-turn at Mantua Street without signaling, according to police. “Never losing sight of the vehicle,” according to the report, the officer caught up to the vehicle at the intersection of Indianwood Boulevard and Sauk Trail.

The officer conducted a LEADS inquiry which yielded that the registration on the vehicle was expired from March 2018, according to police.

The officer activated emergency lights and curbed the vehicle on Sauk Trail just east of Indianwood Boulevard. While approaching the vehicle, the officer observed the driver, later identified as Mr. Williams, allegedly conceal an unknown item into the front waistband of his jeans and pulled his shirt over below his belt, according to police.

The officer shared his suspicions with Mr. Williams regarding what he saw and Mr. Williams denied concealing anything on his person and denied having any contraband in the vehicle, according to police. The officer instructed Mr. Williams to exit the vehicle for officer safety and Mr. Williams complied.

While doing so, Mr. Williams “immediately grabbed his crotch area with his left hand,” according to police. The officer grabbed Mr. Williams’ left hand and told him to stop grabbing his crotch. The officer again asked Mr. Williams if there was anything in his pants and Mr. Williams again began to grab his crotch with his left hand, according to police. The officer, fearing that Mr. Williams might have a gun or some other type of deadly weapon on his person, informed Mr. Williams that he was going to be detained.

So, the officer grabbed Mr. Williams by both arms and brought them to the rear of his person. The officer grabbed a pair of handcuffs and Mr. Williams allegedly pushed the officer in the chest and into the left-hand traffic lane. Mr. Williams then began running eastbound on Sauk Trail, according to police. The officer and another officer who had responded pursued Mr. Williams on foot. After chasing him for approximately 50 feet, the first officer unholstered and activated his department-issued Taser X26, giving the verbal warning “Taser,” and deployed the Taser on Mr. Williams. Both Taser prongs struck Mr. Williams and he immediately fell to the ground striking his face on the roadway, according to police.

The second officer successfully secured Mr. Williams in handcuffs, according to police. The officer who had deployed the Taser requested that Park Forest Paramedics respond to check on Mr. Williams. That officer conducted a search of Mr. Williams’ person and located one clear plastic baggie containing a white powder substance, suspect cocaine, hidden in Mr. Williams’ front waistband, and one clear plastic baggie containing 10 knotted and Ziplocked plastic baggies containing an off-white powder substance, suspected cocaine, found hidden under Mr. Williams’ shirt, by his ribs, according to police.

Paramedics arrived on the scene to check on Mr. Williams, who had a chipped upper front tooth and a bloodied mouth but did not report any further injuries when asked, according to police. Mr. Williams subsequently refused any medical treatment and transportation to the hospital in the presence of a sergeant who had arrived, according to police.

Prior to securing Mr. Williams into the arresting officer’s patrol vehicle, the officer conducted a more thorough search of Mr. Williams. While doing so, Mr. Williams began to sway and lose control of his balance, according to police. Mr. Williams was conscious but would not tell officers what was wrong, according to police. Park Forest Paramedics were again summoned and Mr. Williams was transported to St. James Hospital in Olympia Fields for treatment. Another officer arrived on the scene and followed the ambulance to the hospital as Mr. Williams remained in police custody, according to police.

Mr. Williams vehicle was towed from the scene. At approximately 6 PM, the arresting officer learned that Mr. Williams was discharged from the hospital and was now in custody at the Park Forest Police Department.

Driving While License Was Suspended

Jamon D. Roberts, 21, 22036 Millard Ave., Richton Park, was arrested on June 5 and charged with driving while license was suspended, obstructing identification, failure to wear a properly adjusted safety belt, and improper lane usage.

An officer traveling eastbound on Sauk Trail approaching the intersection at Indianwood Boulevard observed that the driver of a vehicle adjacent to his traveling in the right-hand lane was not wearing a “properly adjusted and fastened seat safety belt,” according to police.

The officer curbed the vehicle at the intersection of Sauk Trail and Oakwood Street.

The driver, later identified as Mr. Roberts, was informed of the reason for the stop. The officer immediately smelled the strong odor of burnt cannabis emanating from inside the vehicle, according to the report. The officer observed that Mr. Roberts’ seatbelt was behind his body instead of in front. Mr. Roberts corrected the position of the safety belt, but when asked for a driver’s license and proof of insurance, Mr. Roberts provided a valid proof of insurance but advised that he had left his driver’s license at home and did not have any other form of identification on him, according to police.

The officer asked his name and birthdate. Mr. Roberts allegedly provided the officer with the name “Jeffrey Davis,” according to police.

The officer asked about the smell of marijuana in the vehicle and Mr. Roberts allegedly said he smoked earlier inside of the car, holding up a clear plastic water bottle containing water covering the bottom and a burnt cigarillo floating in the water. The officer asked Mr. Roberts to exit the vehicle.

Upon conducting a search inside the vehicle, the officer saw two traffic citations issued by the Sauk Village Police Department to a “Jamon D. Roberts.” One of the traffic citations charged driving while license was suspended, according to police. The officer placed Mr. Roberts under arrest. His vehicle was towed from the scene and seized per local ordinance.

Mr. Roberts was provided a court date of June 28, 2018, at the Markham Courthouse.

Driving 69 MPH on Western Ave. While Operating an Uninsured Motor Vehicle

John D. Page Bohannon, 35, 8516 Escanaba Ave., Chicago, was arrested on June 6 and charged with operating an uninsured motor vehicle, illegal transportation of liquor, no front license plate, and aggravated speeding.

Mr. Bohannon was assigned a court date of July 12, 2018, in the Park Forest Police Department Courtroom. An officer patrolling on June 6 at approximately 11:20 PM in the area of Western Avenue and the Canadian National railroad tracks observed a vehicle driving southbound on Western Avenue at a high rate of speed, according to police.

The officer clocked the vehicle using radar driving at 69 miles per hour in a 35 miles per hour zone, according to police.

The officer got behind the vehicle, activated his emergency lights, and initiated a traffic stop.

The officer requested that the driver, later identified as Mr. Bohannon, furnish his driver’s license and proof of insurance. Instead of providing the officer with a driver’s license, he provided the officer with his Illinois Identification Card and an expired insurance card, according to police.

The officer conducted a law enforcement inquiry on Mr. Bohannon and learned that his driver’s license was valid.

The officer smelled the odor of alcohol emanating from Mr. Bohannon’s breath, according to the report. Another officer arrived on the scene to assist. The officer asked him how much he had to drink. Mr. Bohannon allegedly told the officer that he had a couple of beers at a bar in Matteson.

The officer observed a Styrofoam cup in between Mr. Bohannon’s feet, according to police. At this point, Mr. Bohannon suddenly started the vehicle while the two officers were standing outside, according to the report.

The officer ordered Mr. Bohannon to turn off the vehicle and requested that he exit the vehicle. Prior to exiting the vehicle, Mr. Bohannon gave one of the officers a plastic bag stating that that was all he had, according to police. The bag contained suspect cannabis, according to police.

The officer who initiated the traffic stop asked Mr. Bohannon if he would be willing to complete a Standardized Field Sobriety Testing, and he agreed. The officer explained the instructions and determined that Mr. Bohannon was not under the influence of alcohol.

Mr. Bohannon was placed in handcuffs and advised that he was under arrest on a charge of aggravated speeding. A passenger in the vehicle was offered a ride to his residence. However, he declined and elected to walk away from the scene.

Prior to Mr. Bohannon’s vehicle being towed from the scene, the arresting officer found a Styrofoam cup with a green liquid and lime inside. The cup had a strong odor of alcohol emanating from inside, according to police. Police also found a bottle of Cognac D’Usse that had liquid inside of it that smelled like alcohol, according to police.

Domestic Battery

Mykol G. Cooper, 25, 15858 Woodlawn West Ave., South Holland, was arrested on June 8 and charged with one count of domestic battery and criminal damage to property after police were dispatched to the first block of Blackhawk Drive in reference to a report of a domestic dispute.

When police arrived at 5:46 PM, they were told that Mr. Cooper had been allegedly beating a female victim all day, according to the report. During one alleged altercation, Mr. Cooper allegedly pushed the alleged victim and then grabbed her by the neck. She pushed Mr. Cooper back to defend herself and Mr. Cooper allegedly bit her in the left forearm, according to police.

An officer observed a bruise on the left forearm of the alleged victim. The bruise was swollen, black, blue, and purple, and appeared similar to a bite mark, according to police.

Mr. Cooper also allegedly punched a hole in a wall in the kitchen, according to police. Officers checked the entire house except for one bedroom which was closed and locked. Officers knocked on the door and called out Mr. Cooper’s name. Mr. Cooper eventually opened the door and was escorted to the front yard and detained in handcuffs for safety, according to police. Later, at the Park Forest police station, Mr. Cooper allegedly told police that he bit the alleged victim’s forearm near her wrist in self-defense to prevent her from choking him. He allegedly told police that he punched the wall in the kitchen because he did not want to punch the alleged victim.


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