Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- An officer discovered an Evanston man asleep in a running car on a grassy knoll, according to police. He asked the police, “Am I alive?” when they woke him up. After a lengthy conversation where he allegedly said, “I beat this in court already,” he later left the police station with a DUI and a court date.
While responding to assist police on another call on January 22 at 2:25 AM, an officer saw illuminated taillights about 75 feet off the roadway. This was between Park Street and the parking lot of Garden House of Park Forest, according to police. The lights were visible up a small grassy knoll, tucked behind trees and shrubbery, according to police. This vehicle, a dark-colored sedan, rested in a grassy area, according to police. The officer saw freshly made tire tracks in the grass leading up to the vehicle.
The officer positioned his patrol vehicle behind the dark-colored sedan. He then notified SouthCom Dispatch of the situation and requested an additional Park Forest officer to respond to assist. The officer was unable to see into the vehicle and did not know if it was occupied, according to police.
When assistance arrived, the officer who discovered the dark-colored sedan conducted a LEADS inquiry on a car, a black 2008 Lexus LS460, according to police. The inquiry showed that the vehicle was clear and valid.
Asleep on a Grassy Knoll
Police then approached the Lexus and saw one man in the front driver’s seat. He would later be identified as Ryan R. Frazier-Chambers, according to police. They discovered Mr. Frazier-Chambers allegedly reclining in the driver’s seat, inattentive, with his eyes closed, according to police.
The officers placed “stop sticks” beneath the front right tire and rear left tire of the Lexus to keep it from moving, according to police.
The officer who discovered the vehicle pounded on the window repeatedly in an attempt to get Mr. Frazier-Chambers’ attention, according to police. He was unsuccessful. Mr. Frazier-Chambers was breathing and appeared to be asleep, according to police. Officers discovered that the doors of the Lexus were unlocked. They opened the doors to make contact with Mr. Frazier-Chambers, according to police. Once they had access to the inside of the Lexus, one officer turned the vehicle off by pushing the ignition switch, according to the report. The other officer performed a patdown on Mr. Frazier-Chambers to make sure he had no weapons within reach, according to police. Both officers then began removing Mr. Frazier-Chambers from the car, according to police.
Evanston Man Asks, “Am I alive?”
Mr. Frazier-Chambers appeared limp and, initially, police found him difficult to move, according to police. They placed him in an upright position when he became slightly alert, opened his eyes, and appeared disoriented, according to police. The Evanston man allegedly asked the officers, “Am I alive?”
Police escorted Mr. Frazier-Chambers to the rear of the car. He allegedly spoke in a slow, monotone, slurred, and mumbled manner, according to police. Police also note that Mr. Frazier-Chambers allegedly had “slight balance issues,” according to the report.
Mr. Frazier-Chambers allegedly told police, “I’m not drunk. I’m just tired,” according to the report. The reporting officer noticed the scent of an alcoholic beverage coming from Mr. Frazier-Chambers’s breath when he spoke, according to police.
The reporting officer asked the Evanston man if he would perform a Field Sobriety Test. He replied, “Yes sir, I’ve been through this already. I already know,” according to the police. Then police again asked if he wanted to do the test. Mr. Frazier-Chambers replied, “No, I don’t want to do them,” according to the police. The officer asked if he was refusing to do the test. Mr. Frazier-Chambers allegedly said, “I’m not refusing. I just don’t want to do nothing right now,” according to police.
This dialogue continued for several minutes and he Evanston man finally agreed to perform the tests, according to police. At one point, while performing the tests, Mr. Frazier-Chambers allegedly said, “I’m not drunk. I swear to God, I know the sobriety test. I done this already, I beat this in court already. I’m tired. I drive trucks all day,” according to police.
Field Sobriety Tests
The detail of the Field Sobriety Tests goes on for a few pages in the report. Police determined that the Frazier-Chambers did not pass the tests.
At one point, an officer asked Mr. Frazier-Chambers to do the “walk test,” and he agreed. The officer asked if he had any physical problems or disabilities. Then Mr. Frazier-Chambers allegedly said, “I got, I got, uhh, a lil right here, right here, I got, I broke my ankle right here. I cannot, uhh, stand on one foot, I did this before, I have (inaudible, the report says, “due to slurred speech”), I beat the, uhh, already. I beat this in court, I cannot stand on one court one foot,” the report says.
Due to Mr. Frazier-Chambers’ alleged performance on the tests, the odor of alcohol coming from his breath, slurred speech, glassy eyes, drooped eyelids, a blank stare, and repetitive statements, police informed him that they were arresting him on suspicion of DUI, according to police.
While searching Mr. Frazier-Chambers, police found suspected cannabis and over $1600 on his person, according to police.
At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Frazier-Chambers allegedly became verbally combative with the arresting officer over requesting to use the bathroom, according to police. Mr. Frazier-Chambers allegedly told police that “he has already beaten three cases and is becoming a lawyer,” according to the report.
According to the report, Mr. Frazier-Chambers refused to take a breathalyzer test.
Police arrested Ryan R. Frazier-Chambers, 31, 1904 Emerson St., Evanston, on January 22 and charged with being under the influence of alcohol (physical control), parking where prohibited, illegal transportation or possession of alcoholic liquor by a driver, and possession of adult-use cannabis in a motor vehicle. He has a court date of March 9, 2023, at the Markham Courthouse, 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.
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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.
