Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A Park Forest man received a midnight DUI when an officer allegedly saw him disobey a traffic control device and change lanes without signaling.
Police charged Rashad R. Bates, 41, 273 Forest Blvd., Park Forest, on January 10 with driving under the influence with a BAC over .08, driving under the influence of alcohol, disobeying a traffic control device, failure to signal when required (lane change), operating an uninsured motor vehicle, expired registration, and improper use of an electronic communication device.
Midnight DUI
An officer driving north on Western Avenue from Main Street at 12:08 AM saw a black Mercedes allegedly disregarding the Fir Street stop sign. The vehicle then turned north onto Western Avenue.
On Western, the car reportedly changed from the center to the far right lane without signaling. It then turned off Western Avenue onto Birch Street, turning into the Hallelujah Temple parking lot.
The officer also turned into that parking lot.
While in the lot, the Mercedes performed a U-turn and stopped in front of the officer’s squad car. According to the report, when the Mercedes stopped, the officer had a direct view of the driver, later identified as Rashad R. Bates.
Mr. Bates then drove out of the parking lot onto Birch Street and stopped at the Birch and Western Avenue stop sign. Mr. Bates activated the hazard lights on his vehicle, then got out of the car and stood behind it.
The officer activated his emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop. He instructed Mr. Bates to return to his car. Mr. Bates complied, according to police. Another officer arrived as backup.
Police: The driver did not have insurance for the Mercedes.
The first officer approached the Mercedes and told Mr. Bates why he pulled him over. He asked Mr. Bates for his driver’s license and proof of insurance. According to the report, Mr. Bates allegedly said he did not have insurance for the vehicle.
While speaking with Mr. Bates, the officer alleges his eyes were glassy. The officer detected a strong smell of alcohol coming from his breath, according to police. Mr. Bates then allegedly told the officer that he got out of his car because he didn’t realize the officer was following him. According to the report, he reportedly told the officer he was distracted by being on the phone.
The officer asked Mr. Bates if he had been drinking and where he was going. Mr. Bates allegedly said that he had just been drinking at home while watching the game. According to the report, he reportedly told the officer he had approximately two or three drinks. Then Mr. Bates left his house to go to a friend’s house and drop off a gift card, according to police.
SFSTs Lead to Midnight DUI Charge
The officer administered Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFST). After the tests, the officer told Mr. Bates he was arresting him on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
The officer placed Mr. Bates in handcuffs, led him to the back of a squad car, and transported him to the Park Forest Police Department. After a 20 minute observation., Mr. Bates consented to a breathalyzer test. The test indicated a BAC of 0.141, 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.
