Law and Order, Local Police Reports, Park Forest

PFPD: Steger Woman Gets DUI with Infant in Car


TimStrong Squad 204 police pfpd
The #TimStrong Squad 204 of the Park Forest Police Department. (Photo: Gary Kopycinski)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A Steger woman was charged with a DUI after she allegedly sped down the center turn lane on Western Avenue, drifted between lanes, and struck a curb, all with an infant in the back seat.

Keahnna M. Thompkins, 27, 3536 William St., Steger, was arrested on August 7 and issued traffic citations charging improper lane usage, failure to signal, operating an uninsured motor vehicle, violation of child restraint, and driving under the influence of alcohol. Ms. Thompkins was additionally charged with one count of endangering the life or health of a child, according to police.

An officer was traveling northbound on Western Avenue from Trail at 2:33 AM when he saw a car traveling southbound on Western Avenue from Main Street at a high rate of speed, according to police. Using his front-mounted radar unit the officer found that the vehicle was traveling at 55 mph in a posted 35 mph zone while driving in the center two-way turning lane, according to police.

The officer conducted a U-turn and began following the vehicle southbound. The vehicle was still driving in the center two-way turn lane but then maneuvered back into the left-hand lane, according to police. The officer activated his squad vehicle’s emergency lighting and attempted to catch up to the car. While traveling southbound after passing Indianwood Boulevard, the officer noted that the vehicle began to veer left and right in the left-hand lane, according to police. The vehicle then allegedly maneuvered into the curb lane without signaling, according to police.

The car then struck the curb near Court H-2, according to police.

The officer caught up to the car as it turned westbound onto Hemlock Street from Western Avenue. The officer was now able to identify the vehicle as a silver Pontiac and could read the car’s registration. The vehicle finally curbed on Hemlock Street just west of Western Avenue, according to police.

Keahnna M. Thompkins
Keahnna M. Thompkins. (Photo: PFPD)

The officer approached the vehicle and spoke with the driver, identified as Keahnna M. Thompkins. Ms. Thompkins was unable to provide either a driver’s license or proof of insurance and stated that she did not have them on her person, according to police. The officer asked where she was coming from and Ms. Thompkins told the officer she had been at McDonald’s.

The officer noted an infant in the back seat in a front-facing child seat with no restraints on, according to police. The infant was 20 days old, according to the report.

The officer requested that Ms. Thompkins exit the vehicle and perform a standardized field sobriety test and she complied. Afterward, the officer informed her that she was under arrest on suspicion of DUI and she was taken into custody, according to police.

After being taken into custody, Ms. Thompkins “became irate and belligerent with officers and began yelling that if anything she was high on weed,” according to the report.

Ms. Thompkins was later released on an I-Bond and assigned a mandatory court appearance on September 27, 2022. Police provided Ms. Thompkins with all citations, the Illinois Warning to Motorist, Law Enforcement Sworn Report, Tow Report, and Administrative Vehicle Seizure, 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.


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