Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- Police found a University Park man sleeping in his car while parked in the driveway of a home on Springfield Street. The man insisted he was not in Park Forest but at his house in University Park, according to police. Instead of getting to drive home, the man secured suspicion of DUI after he unsuccessfully performed field sobriety tests, according to police.
Police arrested Anthony G. Brown, 35, 522 Nathan Rd., University Park, on October 1, charging him with driving under the influence of alcohol, driving under the influence of a combination of alcohol and other drugs, driving without valid insurance, and possessing a firearm while under the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Four officers responded to Springfield Street at 8:14 AM on October 1 to investigate a report of a suspicious automobile. According to police, they found Anthony G. Brown in the driver’s seat of a black 2023 Ford Explorer. According to police, the officers “repeatedly knocked on the driver’s side window” to wake Mr. Brown. He did wake up. However, according to the report, he kept falling back to sleep.
Police asked Mr. Brown for his driver’s license and insurance. Instead, according to the report, Mr. Brown allegedly gave officers multiple credit cards. He could not get his license out of his wallet and ended up handing the whole wallet over to police, according to police.
Police allege that Mr. Brown was unable to maintain focus. They also detected a strong smell of alcohol coming out of the vehicle, according to police. They asked him to step out of the car. Instead, according to police, Mr. Brown started the vehicle before he unlocked his door and got out of the car. Officers noted that he used the vehicle store for support while exiting the car, according to police.
Officers found a machete and a collapsible baton on the driver’s side floor between the door and the seat, according to police.
How He Secured Suspicion of DUI
Mr. Brown permitted officers to search him, according to the report. They asked him how he had arrived in the home’s driveway where they had found him. He allegedly told officers that he drove there, coming from work that day at 5:30 AM, according to police. They asked why he parked in the driveway on Springfield Street. Mr. Brown allegedly stated several times that he lived there and that it was his house, according to police. According to the report, Mr. Brown appeared confused and insisted he was not in Park Forest but University Park. He told officers he was sleeping in front of his house, according to police.
One officer performed the Illinois Standard Field Sobriety Tests on Mr. Brown. Afterward, police took him into custody on suspicion of DUI.
Police inventoried Mr. Brown’s vehicle and found a loaded firearm, a black Canik TP9 Elite SC, that was loaded with 15 live 9 mm rounds, according to the report. They also report finding a 6.7 g bag of cannabis, two empty boxes of mushroom edibles, and an open half-empty bottle of tequila, according to the report.
At the police station, Mr. Brown allegedly told officers he didn’t remember what he was doing the entire day before, September 30, 2023. He refused a breath test, according to the report.
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.
