Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A Richton Park man with a history of driving convictions was arrested in Park Forest last Thursday and charged with a DUI and other charges. Police tried for a felony DUI charge but were denied by the Cook County States Attorney’s office, according to a report.
Allen M. Clark, 36, 4451 Poplar Ave., Richton Park, was arrested on July 28 and charged with misdemeanor DUI (alcohol). Mr. Clark also received traffic citations charging operating a motor vehicle when registration was suspended because of no insurance, driving with a revoked license, and operating a motor vehicle while under the influence of alcohol, according to police.
The report shows that the arresting officer sought a felony DUI charge against Mr. Clark when his driving record revealed a history of license suspensions and driving convictions. However, Assistant Cook County States Attorney Cora Moy denied the request, according to police.
Park Forest Police told eNews Park Forest that Mr. Clark “qualified” for felony DUI per the statute due to his license being under a statutory suspension on a prior DUI. “Regardless, the charges were denied,” said Deputy Chief John DeCeault.
A police inspection of Mr. Clark’s driving history revealed that he had once been suspended on Zero Tolerance (September 22, 2004), which ended in 2008. During that time Mr. Clark received a conviction on a charge of driving while his license was suspended, according to the report. Then, on March 29, 2011, Mr. Clark’s driving privileges were once again suspended on a statutory summary suspension, according to the report. Mr. Clark’s driving privileges would later be revoked after the conviction because of a DUI on June 26, 2011, according to police. Lastly, Mr. Clark received a conviction on a charge of driving while his license was suspended on February 11, 2011.
The details of Mr. Clark’s latest arrest follow:
An officer drove out of the 7-Eleven parking lot in the 400 block of Sauk Trail at 4:36 PM to go northbound on Central Park Avenue, according to police. The officer observed a gray Infinity stopped at the traffic signal in front of his patrol vehicle and checked the registration of the Infinity, according to the report. The response from the Law Enforcement Database showed that the Infinity had a suspended registration due to a mandatory insurance violation, according to police.
The officer then conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle at Central Park Avenue near Westgate Drive, according to police.
The officer spoke with the driver, identified as Allen M. Clark, according to the report. There was also a passenger in the vehicle who was not arrested or charged.
The officer asked for Mr. Clark’s driver’s license and proof of insurance. Mr. Clark allegedly stated that he did not have a license on him and that he was driving his sister’s vehicle, according to police. Mr. Clark allegedly told the officer he had just paid to get his license reinstated and that it could take up to 14 days to become valid again, according to police.
Mr. Clark did provide the officer with an Illinois State Identification card.
The officer noticed that Mr. Clark’s speech “appeared slowed at the time,” according to the report. Upon further inquiry, the officer learned that Mr. Clark’s driving privileges were revoked because of a DUI, according to the report. The officer then placed Mr. Clark into custody on suspicion of driving on a revoked license.
While searching the vehicle, police found 17.1 grams of suspect cannabis in a clear Ziploc style bag and $18,300 cash in the rear of the vehicle, according to the report. When asked about the money, Mr. Clark stated that it was not his but belong to a family member, according to the report.
Police transported Mr. Clark to the Park Forest Police Department.
While police conducted an inventory of Mr. Clark’s personal possessions, Mr. Clark was allegedly having difficulties with standing, swaying forwards and backward while standing, had a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from his breath, and his eyes were bloodshot, according to the report. However, Mr. Clark refused to perform a Standard Field Sobriety Test and also refused to submit to a breathalyzer test, according to police.
Mr. Clark denied drinking alcohol, according to the report. His vehicle was towed and impounded.
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.
