Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—An officer pulled over a vehicle when he allegedly saw two tires riding on rims throwing sparks. The woman at the wheel now faces a DUI charge.
In another incident, a man was arrested four days after his first arrest and again charged with public indecency.
Park Forest Blotter Reports Beginning September 27, 2024
DUI: Rims Throwing Sparks
Police arrested Kierra D. Simmons, 27, of the 100 block of N. Pine Ln., Glenwood, on September 27 and charged her with the use of unsafe tires, unsafe equipment, driving under the influence of alcohol, and resisting a peace officer.
An officer patrolling at 1:18 AM saw a blue vehicle traveling northbound on Western Avenue from the Westbridge Apartment Complex. The car had two significantly damaged passenger-side tires, police said, reduced to driving on the rims and throwing sparks.
The officer conducted a U-turn and got behind the car, now identified as a blue Ford. Activating the emergency lighting on his patrol vehicle, the officer initiated a traffic stop on Western Avenue on Monee Road. The driver and sole occupant of the car was Kierra Simmons.
Advising her of her tires throwing sparks, the officer asked Ms. Simmons for her driver’s license. She allegedly provided an Illinois identification card and, without being asked, immediately stated that she was not intoxicated, according to police. The officer asked where she was coming from. She named a bar in Crete and said she would visit her mother’s Park Forest home.
Officer Suspects DUI
The officer observed that her speech was allegedly slow and slurred. Furthermore, there was an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from her breath, police said. The officer also noted that her eyes were allegedly glassy and bloodshot, police said.
Another officer responded to the scene to assist.
The officer who initiated the traffic stop asked Ms. Simmons to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. She agreed. After the tests, the officer advised Ms. Simmons that he was arresting her on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
Police handcuffed Ms. Simmons and attempted to place her in the rear of a patrol vehicle, but she allegedly refused to take a seat, according to police. Officers escorted her to a different car. According to the report, police had to force Ms. Simmons inside the squad as she again allegedly refused to sit. Later, at the Park Forest Police Department, Ms. Simmons declined to provide a breath sample for a BAC, according to police.
DUI
Police arrested Ryan A. Buckley, 38, of the 16800 block of Western Ave., Park Forest, on September 22 and charged him with driving under the influence of alcohol, possession of adult-use cannabis in a motor vehicle, and improper lane usage.
An officer heading eastbound on Sauk Trail from Indianwood Boulevard at 2:44 AM found himself behind a tan 2000 Lexus 300. According to the report, the Lexus crossed the solid centerline that divides east and west traffic. The car then crossed the center line and drove over it for several seconds before drifting back to the passing lane, police said. It straddled the center line for several seconds, according to police.
Police: Car Slows Down for a Green Light
The car then began to slow down for a green traffic signal at the intersection of S. Orchard Dr., police said. It then accelerated and continued east on Sauk Trail, according to police. The Lexus again crossed and straddled the center line, according to police.
The officer activated his emergency lights to conduct a traffic stop. The car slowly began the stop, police said. According to the report, after 24 seconds, the vehicle was still idling forward, so the officer briefly activated his siren. The car eventually came to a stop on Western Ave. near Hemlock Street, according to police. It took a full 33 seconds for the vehicle to stop, police said.
Officer Suspects DUI
The driver and sole occupant of the car was Ryan A. Buckley. Informing Mr. Buckley of the amount of time it took him to stop, Mr. Buckley indicated that he didn’t know “what kind of vehicle was behind him,” according to the report.
While speaking with him, the officer detected a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle, police said. According to the report, Mr. Buckley had glassy eyes, a distinct slur, and made incoherent statements, according to police. Regarding the statements, Mr. Buckley spoke about having a fresh insurance card and then began to randomly talk about an order of protection, according to police. He denied drinking any alcohol.
The officer asked Mr. Buckley to exit his vehicle. The officer had to ask three times, police said. Mr. Buckley got out of the car.
Battery for Officer’s Body Cam Went Down
When Mr. Buckley exited the vehicle, the officer looked at his body-worn camera and noticed it was powered off. Upon reviewing the recording, the officer noted that the camera captured the above interaction, but the camera died once Mr. Buckley exited his vehicle, police said.
However, at that point, another officer was on the scene, and the remainder of the traffic stop was captured on his body-worn camera, according to police.
The officer conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests on Mr. Buckley. After the tests, the officer advised Mr. Buckley that he was arresting him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
An inventory search of Mr. Buckley’s vehicle before the tow yielded two designer Ziploc bags in the center console. These allegedly contained a green leafy substance, suspected cannabis, police said.
At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Buckley refused to provide a breath sample for a BAC, according to police.
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Isaiah C. Thomas, 24, of the 100 block of Indianwood Blvd., Park Forest, on September 28 and charged him with domestic battery and criminal damage to property.
Police responded to 99 Indianwood Blvd., US Bank, at 10:48 PM to investigate a report of domestic battery. Upon arrival, police found a vehicle in the middle of the road on Indianwood Boulevard parked near Court G-4. A man and woman were actively fighting each other inside the car, police said. The report said the woman was allegedly pulling the man’s hair. An officer saw the man allegedly strike the woman multiple times with a closed fist to the head and body area, police said.
Woman Alleges Being Choked
An officer contacted both subjects and ordered the man out of the vehicle. He complied, police said. That officer handcuffed the man and advised him that he was detaining him pending further investigation, police said. The police said the man, later identified as Isaiah Thomas, had scratches on his face. Police told Mr. Thomas they were arresting him on suspicion of domestic battery.
The woman told police she was pregnant and had been choked, according to the report.
Public Indecency
Police arrested DeAndre R. Lawrence, 30, of the 200 block of Mohawk Dr., Park Forest, on September 29 and charged him with public indecency.
Police responded to Somonauk Park at 11:46 AM to investigate a report of a suspicious subject. SouthCom Dispatch advised that someone alleged a man was wearing a blue Nike hoodie and black pants, exposing his penis and masturbating, according to police.
When police arrived, they spoke with the complainant. She alleged that she saw a man wearing a blue Nike hoodie, black sweatpants, and black slide-on shoes walking towards her in the park. The man, later identified as Deandre Lawrence, tried to speak with her and asked for her name on Facebook. The complainant said she felt uncomfortable and began walking towards the public restroom.
When she was about 15 feet from Mr. Lawrence, she looked back and saw that his penis was allegedly outside of his pants, police said. Mr. Lawrence then reportedly began to masturbate while looking at the complainant, police said. He allegedly told her, “You don’t have to be like that,” according to police.
The complainant continued walking away and called 911, according to police. According to police, the officer inadvertently left his body camera docked in his patrol vehicle. Therefore, the officer did not record his initial interview with the complainant, police said.
Note: Mr. Lawrence faces another public indecency charge from an alleged September 25, 2024 incident.
Retail Theft
Police arrested James E. Burks Jr., 32, of the 23400 block of S. Western Ave., Park Forest, on September 29 and charged him with retail theft.
An officer responded to a business on Main Street at 5:37 PM regarding a report of retail theft. The complainant alleged that a man, identified as James E. Burks, was taking items from the store and putting them in a plastic Dollar General bag, police said. Mr. Burks then allegedly walked past the last point-of-sale to the front door, police said.
“Old Habits”
The complainant ran to block Mr. Burks from leaving the store, locking the door and waiting for police to arrive. The items Mr. Burks allegedly took totaled $4.53, police said.
A responding officer asked Mr. Burks, “What happened?” Mr. Burks reportedly responded, “Old habits got the best of me,” according to police.
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.
