Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A large gathering on Apache Street in the Eastgate neighborhood appears to have had a domino effect contributing to two other police incidents. A teen leaving the party allegedly struck a Cook County squad with his car. Another person who attended the party later ended up in a one-car accident at Sauk Trail and Western Avenue after going off-road with a Nissan sedan. That person didn’t make it home until the following day, complete with a DUI charge.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through August 28 – Part III
Someone called to report a parking problem on Apache Street on August 25. An officer responded to that location at 10:43 p.m. to investigate a report of a parking problem. Upon arrival, the officer found a black Chrysler 300 blocking the driveway of a home on Apache Street. He quickly located the driver of that car. This person moved the vehicle without incident.
But there was more than one car.
Police Discover a Large Gathering
According to police, there was a large gathering. Police estimated there were 100-150 people present, according to two Park Forest reports we reviewed. People were dancing in the street. A DJ played tunes. Officers said cars were parked on the wrong side of the road. Other vehicles were blocking residential driveways. Police also heard loud music coming from a DJ. They noted a strong smell of burnt cannabis in the air.
One officer approached a man who lived at the home and asked that they keep the music down, make sure people parked their vehicles legally, and keep people out of the street where they were obstructing traffic.
The man announced to the crowd to get out of the street. He told people to park their vehicles legally. According to the police, this worked fine at first. Party-goers momentarily moved out of the road, and some drove their cars to park legally.
The homeowner assures police the party will end at midnight.
The homeowner, Latonya A. Anderson, spoke with officers as well. She and the man assured officers that the party would last only until midnight. Police stayed in the area to keep tabs. It was dark, after all, and safety was an issue.
They saw other vehicles enter the area and park illegally, according to the report. Officers would then ask them to move their cars. They complied but kept officers busy for the next hour. People also continued to obstruct the roadway, according to police.
At 12:04 AM, the party showed no signs of ending. Officers learned that three residents had called SouthCom to complain about the noise.
Then the DJ announced there would be a “Twerking” contest.
Police Seek Help
At this point, officers sought help. A Park Forest Commander activated an Illinois Law Enforcement Alarm System (ILEAS) Ten Car Callout. ILEAS is a mutual aid system first responders draw on when resources in their jurisdiction might not be enough. According to police, multiple agencies responded to assist in terminating the party and clearing the area and the house, the report says.
As people began to leave the area, a 19-year-old man allegedly drove his car into a Cook County squad car. The driver, Malcom E Banks, reportedly had a gun in his waistband, according to the report.
Cook County Sheriff’s police arrested him.
Another driver who left the party was allegedly involved in a one-car DUI accident at Sauk Trail and Western Avenue, according to police.
That report follows.
Police ultimately issued the homeowner, Latonya A. Anderson, 49, 40 Apache St., Park Forest, a municipal citation on August 25 charging disorderly house.
DUI Greater Than .08, Off-road with a Nissan
Police arrested Nasharri C. Davis, 24, 12444 Washington #4, Blue Island, and issued her traffic citations charging leaving the roadway, driving under the influence of alcohol, and DUI with a BAC greater than .08.
An officer assisting in the Eastgate neighborhood of Park Forest at the large party at 40 Apache Street responded to an accident at Western Avenue and Sauk Trail at 12:55 a.m. The accident reportedly involved a black Nissan Altima. SouthCom reported that the Nissan’s driver was apparently intoxicated and allegedly trying to leave the scene of the accident, according to the report.
Off-road with a Nissan Sedan
When the officer arrived, he saw an off-road Nissan facing westbound, off-road, over the curb, in the eastbound lane, according to police. The car had heavy front-end damage and no airbag deployment. The front driver-side tire was deflated, according to police. Nasharri Davis, the driver, was standing near the vehicle, police said.
Ms. Davis did not have any visible signs of injury, according to police. Ms. Davis admitted that she was the driver of the Nissan and the only person in that car.
When the officer asked for her driver’s license, she searched her purse “for approximately one minute and 20 seconds, dropping multiple items, such as receipts, keys, and gum in the process,” according to the report.
Ms. Davis appeared to be wobbly on her feet and had slurred speech, according to police.
The officer asked her if she needed medical attention. Ms. Davis allegedly replied, “I don’t know,” according to the report.
POLICE: The driver first says she just left work at 10:30 p.m.
Ms. Davis initially told the officer that she left her place of employment, The Elisabeth Ludemen Center in Park Forest. However, Ms. Davis told the officer she got off work at 10:30 p.m.
The officer told her that the current time was 1 a.m.
Ms. Davis had no response to that, according to police.
Ms. Davis told the officer she was traveling westbound in the westbound lane of Sauk Trail when another vehicle struck her. She was unable to provide any description of the other vehicle, according to police. She allegedly told the officer that the unknown vehicle struck the driver’s front end of her car. This caused her to lose control as her car spun out into the eastbound lanes of Sauk Trail, according to police.
Witness: There were no other vehicles.
The officer spoke with the caller, who reported the accident. He said he was about to turn southbound onto Western Avenue when he saw Ms. Davis’s car heading southbound. He saw Ms. Davis enter the Sauk Trail intersection, turn westbound onto Sauk Trail, and cross into the eastbound lanes. She then went off-road with her Nissan and struck the curb in the process, according to the report. She also hit a sign and fire hydrant before disabling her car, according to police.
The witness said there were no other vehicles involved in the accident.
The officer then asked Ms. Davis again where she was coming from. She again replied, “The Elisabeth Ludemen Center,” according to the report.
POLICE: The driver said she left a party at the Ludeman Center.
Ms. Davis then allegedly added that her cousin had a party at the Ludemen Center. Upon leaving, Ms. Davis said she was “coming on the expressway” because she lives in Blue Island, according to police.
The officer noted in the report that Blue Island is about 9.5 miles the other way from the direction Ms. Davis was traveling. Furthermore, it is north of the Ludemen Center, the report says.
The accident scene was approximately one .75 miles south of the Ludemen Center, according to police.
During Field Sobriety Tests, Driver Clarifies Location of Party
The officer asked Ms. Davis how much he had to drink at the party. She allegedly replied, “Nothing really,” according to the report. She admitted to having one drink, according to police.
Ms. Davis agreed to participate in a field sobriety test, according to police. During one of the tests, she said she was unable to maintain her balance, according to the report. Therefore, for Ms. Davis’s safety, the officer did not administer the walk-and-turn part of the test, according to the police.
At this point, Ms. Davis then allegedly admitted she was at a block party in the Eastgate neighborhood of Park Forest, according to police.
The officer then administered other parts of the field sobriety tests.
After the tests, he took Ms. Davis into custody on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol. At 2:19 AM, Ms. Davis successfully submitted a breath sample, which yielded a .161 BAC, 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.
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.
