Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A reported armed robbery that led to a brief standoff ended peacefully, Park Forest police said. The alleged victim pointed to a home on Waverly Street as the location where the alleged offender fled. After bringing in several mutual aid reinforcements from two sources that the Village participates in, the incident ended with the suspected offender walking toward police with hands up.
Two children on the scene also came to officers peacefully.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through September 11, 2023 – Part I
Armed Robbery
Police arrested Andre Morgan, 38, 351 Waverly St., Park Forest, on September 5 and charged him with armed robbery. Police also arrested Takiya M. Nesbitt, 28, 114 Lester Rd., Park Forest, in connection with the same incident, charging her with obstruction.
A Car Breaks Down
On Tuesday, September 5, at 1:22 PM, an officer responded to 360 Sauk Trail to investigate a report of an armed robbery. The caller saw the alleged offender run into a residence directly behind a home in the 300 block of Sauk Trail, according to police. Dispatch mapped the possible house the suspected offender entered as a home in the 300 block of Waverly Street.
The responding officer spoke with the complainant. She said at approximately 1:10 PM, her car broke down while she was going westbound on Sauk Trail, according to police. She got out of her car. While standing on the side of the road searching her purse for her cell phone, a man she did not know came up to her and asked if she needed help. She declined assistance, according to the report.
The man allegedly then pointed a handgun towards her face and demanded her belongings, according to the report. He reportedly snatched the purse she was holding in her hands and ran westbound towards the open field in the area, according to police.
Complainant Pursues
The woman followed him and saw him enter a side door of a home, closing the door behind him, according to police. A passerby then stopped to check if she was okay. The passerby let her use a cell phone to call the police, according to the report.
The woman described the contents of her purse to the officer.
According to the report, the officer took the complainant to a safe location. There, she positively identified the home at 351 Waverly Street as the house the alleged offender ran into, according to police.
Detectives arrived on the scene and assumed the investigation. They transported the complainant to the Park Forest Police Department.
Calls for Outside Help
A Commander requested a five-car ILEAS callout at 1:43 PM to assist with the perimeter. He called for assistance from the South Suburban Emergency Response Team (SSERT) at 1:52 PM. The equipment SSERT and ILEAS respond with is formidable. The goal, however, was for the standoff to end peacefully.
The first officer who responded then relocated to the west side of the home on Waverly Street. A sergeant made several announcements with a police vehicle PA system, ordering all occupants in the house to exit with their hands up, according to police.
No one exited.
Officer Had Prior Knowledge of the Home
According to the report, a sergeant on the scene knew of a man living at the home from a previous call for service. The man was Andre Morgan, according to police.
At 2:08 PM, the sergeant spoke with a woman inside the home via telephone. Police later identified her as Takiya M. Nesbitt, according to the report. According to the report, the sergeant urged her to come outside with Mr. Morgan several times. According to the report, Ms. Nesbitt allegedly did not respond to the sergeant after the request.
At 2:12 PM, the sergeant called her again. This time, she allegedly said she would come out after she used the restroom, according to police.
Standoff Ends Peacefully
At 2:19 PM, a man, later identified as Andre Morgan, walked out of the home with his hands up, according to police. The sergeant verbally commanded him to walk backward toward the officer. Mr. Morgan complied, according to the report. An officer placed him in handcuffs, according to the report.
At 2:34 PM, a detective told officers that the complainant positively identified Mr. Morgan as the alleged offender in this incident, according to police.
An officer then took Mr. Morgan to the Park Forest Police Department.
After more time passed, at 2:39 PM, Ms. Nesbitt left the home with two children, according to police. The sergeant on the scene placed her in handcuffs. According to the report, she denied permission to search the home then.
This is not the first time a standoff ended peacefully in Park Forest. There were no shots fired.
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.
