Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- These police reports include arrests through June 30, 2020. Charges for those arrested include driving while license was revoked and felony possession of a controlled substance. A teen was issued citations but not arrested.
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use the word “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those arrested and/or charged have committed any offenses. We report on what is in the media reports furnished by police. As those charged are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.
Providing more details than readers will find in any other police beat reports, we invite readers to subscribe to get the whole story, every day.
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.
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 end up with 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.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through June 30, 2020
Felony Possession of a Controlled Substance
Gregory A. Barnard, 55, 305A W. Church St., Harrisburg, IL, was arrested on June 25 and charged with felony possession of a controlled substance after an officer discovered a vehicle in the parking area of Thorn Creek Nature Center, 247 Monee Road, after dusk, when no vehicles should have been in the lot, according to police.
The officer approached the vehicle and spoke with the driver and a front-seat passenger. There was a man asleep in the rear seat of the vehicle, later identified as Gregory Barnard. The officer observed a piece of aluminum foil on the seat next to the man in the back seat, according to the report.
When Mr. Barnard woke up, he provided his name and told the officer he was on parole and that his parole was drug-related, according to the report. The officer asked him if he had any drugs on him. Mr. Barnard responded that he did not. The officer asked Mr. Barnard to step out of the vehicle.
When Mr. Barnard exited the vehicle, the officer saw that the aluminum foil was no longer in view. Believing that Mr. Barnard took the foil with him from the vehicle, the officer placed Mr. Barnard in handcuffs. The officer then located the aluminum foil on the ground, beneath the rear passenger door.
The officer determined that the foil contained a white powder substance, suspect heroin.
Police took Mr. Barnard into custody and released the driver and passenger from the scene. At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Barnard declined to speak with the police about the narcotics. The Will County State’s Attorney approved one count of possession of a controlled substance against Mr. Barnard.
Unlawful Possession of Cannabis by a Minor: No Arrest
Dionte M. Robinson, 18, 1402 Echelon Circle, Matteson, was issued a municipal citation on June 29 charging unlawful possession of cannabis by a minor and processed on a traffic citation charging disregarding a stop sign when officers were observing a vehicle with a man suspected of selling cannabis.
Police observed a man enter the suspect vehicle, exit the vehicle, and get in another vehicle, traveling eastbound on Illinois Street from Indiana Street (the west intersection).
Another officer discovered the second vehicle and saw that it did not have its headlights illuminated during the rain at the time, according to the police. The officer curbed the vehicle on Indiana Street just east of Orchard Drive. Dionte Robinson was the driver, according to police.
The report says the teen’s hands appeared to be quivering and the officer could see the sweat on his forehead.
The officer asked him if there was anything illegal in the vehicle and the teen allegedly replied that there was “a little baggie of cannabis underneath the passenger seat,” according to police. The officer located the cannabis, according to police.
Mr. Robinson was issued the citations and released on-scene, according to the report.
Driving with a Revoked License
Darnissa T. Gray, 28, 530 Bellwood Ave., Bellwood, IL, was arrested on June 30 and charged with driving with a revoked license when police observed a vehicle driving westbound on Blackhawk Drive at Shabbona Drive allegedly disobey a stop sign.
When police pulled her over, they discovered through SouthCom Dispatch that Ms. Gray’s license was revoked on a prior DUI conviction, according to the report. When officers asked Ms. Gray why her license was revoked, she allegedly responded that she beat the case in court but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, she was able to get her license back, according to police.
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