Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—Two men were charged with felonies at the end of May and the beginning of June. A Calumet City man faces a charge of aggravated assault with a vehicle, a felony. Police charged a man from Country Club Hills with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol.
This is the first time we recall seeing the charge “aggravated assault with a vehicle” since we began covering police reports in 2007. The Cook County Felony Review approved the charge against the Calumet City man after a distressed complainant described to police a harrowing ordeal.
The narratives follow.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Beginning May 30, 2024
Aggravated Assault with a Vehicle – a Felony
Police arrested Justin M. Goodman, 40, of the 500 block of Buffalo Ave., Calumet City, on May 30 and charged him on May 31 with one count of felony aggravated assault with a vehicle and reckless driving.
The Narrative
Police responded to Lincoln Highway and Orchard Drive at 11:54 PM to investigate a domestic incident. SouthCom Dispatch told police that people were driving east on Lincoln Highway when one vehicle allegedly struck another, according to police.
At the scene, the complainant told police she recently filed for divorce from Justin M. Goodman. They met at Bocce’s Bar and Grill in Matteson to celebrate Mr. Goodman’s birthday. The complainant alleged that Mr. Goodman is “verbally and emotionally abusive,” according to the report. Mr. Goodman allegedly became upset when the complainant refused to have sex with him, according to police.
The complainant left Bocce’s in her vehicle. According to police, she alleged that Mr. Goodman followed her out of the parking lot while flashing his headlights at her vehicle. She alleged that she was traveling eastbound on Lincoln Highway towards Park Forest when Mr. Goodman struck the back of her car.
After the collision, Mr. Goodman allegedly yelled, “I know where you live!”
Report: Car Chase Through the Grass
According to the report. She drove her vehicle into the parking lot of Calvary United Protestant Church in the 400 block of N. Orchard Drive. There, she said she had to drive on the grass to get away from Mr. Goodman, according to police.
After driving through the grass, she drove her vehicle east on Lincoln Highway to Western Avenue. According to police, Mr. Goodman allegedly followed her.
According to police, she made a U-turn to go back west on Lincoln Highway, with Mr. Goodman still following her. She then made another U-turn to go east after approaching Lincoln Highway near Indiana Street. She saw police squad cars and pulled over as directed by SouthCom Dispatch, with whom she communicated via phone.
Olympia Fields Police Assist
According to police, Mr. Goodman allegedly continued eastbound on Lincoln Highway. Officers from the Olympia Fields Police Department assisted in locating him. These officers conducted a high-risk stop between McDonald’s and Fifth Third Bank in Olympia Fields. They arrested Mr. Goodman and transported him to the Park Forest Police Department.
The Charge: Aggravated Assault with a Vehicle
Police saw no apparent signs of damage to the rear of the complainant’s vehicle. However, the dirt on the rear bumper had an outline of a license plate bracket, which suggested to the officers that another car had made contact with it.
According to police, an officer advised Mr. Goodman of his Miranda Rights, and another officer spoke with him about the mark on the complainant’s vehicle. The front license plate bracket of Mr. Goodman’s vehicle had a crack in it that matched the imprint on the back of the complainant’s car, according to police.
Mr. Goodman denied chasing the complainant in his vehicle. Cook County Felony Review approved one count of aggravated assault with a vehicle.
Aggravated Driving Under the Influence of Alcohol – Two Counts
Both are felony charges.
Police arrested Antuan Lee, 42, of the 17600 block of Hillcrest Dr., Country Club Hills, on June 2 and charged him with two counts of aggravated driving under the influence of alcohol, both felonies, with the aggravated factors being more than three prior’s and the alleged offense occurring during a statutory summary suspension, according to police. Police also charged him with aggravated driving while his license was revoked, driving under the influence of alcohol, disobeying a stop sign, improper lane usage, driving in the wrong lane, having no insurance, and possession of adult-use cannabis in a motor vehicle.
Mr. Lee’s initial court date was June 3, 2024, at the Markham Courthouse.
The Narrative
An officer heading north on S. Orchard Dr. approaching Victory Drive saw a silver Chevrolet Tahoe leaving the parking lot of Stacy’s Bistro located in the first block of S. Orchard Dr. It was 12:54 AM.
The Chevrolet slowly pulled north on S. Orchard Dr. and began to travel in front of the officer. According to the report, the vehicle immediately swerved to the left and crossed the solid lane line that divides the center turn lane, according to police. The Chevrolet then allegedly weaved to the left and right and slowed down as it approached a green traffic signal at South Orchard Drive and Lakewood Boulevard. There was no apparent reason for the deceleration, according to police.
Continuing North on Orchard Drive
According to police, the Chevy drove through the intersection and continued north on Orchard Drive. It then swerved again across the solid center dividing lane line and began straddling it.
According to police, the car decelerated again for no apparent reason and then sped up. The report describes similar instances of the Chevrolet crossing lane lines.
The officer followed as the vehicle approached the intersection of Orchard Dr. and Westwood Drive. There, it slowed down. According to police, this intersection is controlled by a Stop sign.
According to police, the Chevrolet accelerated quickly and appeared to be going to drive through the intersection without stopping. It then stopped abruptly, the entire length of the vehicle past the stop line/crosswalk.
Traffic Stop
The officer activated his patrol vehicle’s emergency lights and conducted a traffic stop on Orchard Dr., just north of Westwood Drive.
Approaching the car, the officer spoke with the driver and sole occupant, later identified as Antuan Lee. He apprised Mr. Lee of the reason for the stop and asked for his driver’s license and proof of insurance.
The officer begins to suspect DUI.
Mr. Lee allegedly had bloodshot, glassy eyes, and his speech “had a distinct slur,” according to the report. The officer also detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from inside the vehicle.
According to police, Mr. Lee slowly retrieved his wallet and “very sluggishly” began to look for his driver’s license. He told the officer he had just left a friend’s home even though the officer saw him leaving a local bar and grill.
Eventually, Mr. Lee said someone must have kept his driver’s license as he was unable to find it, according to police. He further related that his driving privileges were currently suspended.
Mr. Lee showed the officer a credit card with his name and provided his date of birth. Another officer arrived on the scene to assist. When police conducted a LEADS inquiry, they learned Mr. Lee currently had three statutory summary suspensions for violations of section 11-501.1 and two additional suspensions, according to police.
According to IllinoisCourts.gov, section 11-501.11, “Section 11-501.1 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, commonly called the ‘implied-consent law,’ prohibits operation of a vehicle anywhere in the state by individuals under the influence of alcohol or drugs.”
The driver says he drank nothing.
The officer asked Mr. Lee how much he had to drink. Mr. Lee responded that he had nothing. Mr. Lee complied when the officer asked him to leave the vehicle. The officer then advised him that he was arresting him on suspicion of driving while his license was suspended, according to police.
The report says that the officer decided to continue the driving under the influence investigation and perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests at the Park Forest Police Department due to wet and rainy conditions.
During an inventory of Mr. Lee’s car, police found a designer Ziploc bag in the center console containing less than 10 g of suspect cannabis, according to police. The suspected cannabis was not in an odor-proof, child-resistant container, according to police.
Driver Declines to Answer Questions or Perform Tests
At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. Lee refused to answer any questions, again telling the police that he had nothing to drink, and refused to perform any tests.
At 1:41 AM, police informed him he was under arrest on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol.
While checking Mr. Lee’s history through LEADS, police found the following in summary:
- Driving While License Suspended arrest on 2-21-2023 occurred during a
statutory summary suspension. Chicago Police Department, Case #030219950. A guilty
disposition was entered on 3-3-2023. - DUI arrest on 10-23-2022, Illinois State Police, Case #F032203674
- DUI arrest on 10-18-2019, Chicago Police Department, Case #019885653
- DUI arrest on 6-23-2018, Illinois State Police, Case #03182157
- DUI arrest on 2-9-2013, Chicago Police Department, Case #018592744
- DUI arrest on 1-20-2004, Chicago Police Department, Case #15705375
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.
According to police, officers captured all the incidents in this report on body-worn and dash-mounted cameras at the respective scenes. 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.
