Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—Police charged two people with obstructing and a Country Club Hills woman with DUI in mid-March. A Benton Harbor, Michigan, man found himself charged with obstructing identification. Police arrested a Park Forest woman and charged her with obstructing an officer.
These incidents follow.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through March 19, 2024
Obstructing Identification
Police arrested George D. Parnell, 36, Benton Harbor, MI, on March 17 and charged him with obstructing identification.
Police responded at 8:02 PM to an address on Forest Boulevard regarding a report of a domestic incident. The alleged offender in this incident, George D. Parnell, flagged down officers in the Park Forest Police Department. He told them that a relative hit him in the face, according to police. He allegedly told officers that he was unsure why the confrontation occurred.
When one officer made initial contact with Mr. Parnell, he allegedly gave the officer a different name and date of birth, according to police. When the officer checked the name, SouthCom Dispatch said that the name came back clear with no record on file.
This officer escorted Mr. Parnell back to the address on Forest Boulevard in his patrol vehicle.
Complainant Tells Her Side
The officer met with the complainant at that address while Mr. Parnell waited in the patrol vehicle. Another officer arrived and remained with Mr. Parnell.
The complainant said she was downstairs when she heard a loud noise coming from upstairs. According to police, she went upstairs and saw Mr. Parnell allegedly banging on a microwave.
She asked Mr. Parnell to quit banging on the microwave. However, Mr. Parnell allegedly became highly upset and began to yell, according to police. She alleged that Mr. Parnell was yelling in a threatening manner and started to “get into her face,” according to police. Mr. Parnell then allegedly hit her in the face and continued to yell, according to police.
According to the report, the officer who accompanied Mr. Parnell back to the residence saw some redness on the left side of the woman’s face close to her eye.
Witness Account
Another person at the home said that Mr. Parnell was banging on the microwave upstairs when the woman confronted him. According to this witness, the two argued, but nothing physical took place.
All this while, Mr. Parnell was still sitting in the back of the officer’s vehicle. He allegedly began to bang on the car window. Another officer spoke with him, and he reportedly said he was unable to breathe and was having pain because of a sciatic issue. He told the officer he had been sitting too long. The officer removed him from the patrol vehicle.
When police learned his name, they subsequently arrested Mr. Parnell on suspicion of obstructing identification. They put him back into the rear of the police vehicle, took him to the Park Forest Police Department, gave him a citation charging obstructing identification, and then released him.
According to the report, he had an initial court date on May 9, 2024, at the Markham Courthouse.
Obstructing a Peace Officer
Police arrested Jeannah M. Bowie, 31, Park Forest, on March 18 and charged her with obstructing a peace officer.
Police responded to a residence regarding a report of a domestic incident. The man said his girlfriend, Jeannah M. Bowie, began to argue with him, according to police. Earlier, the two had been driving home when Ms. Bowie allegedly hit the man a couple of times, according to the report.
Once they got home, Ms. Bowie left the residence in the man’s vehicle, according to police.
While at the home, police saw a vehicle matching the man’s description driving past the house.
An officer caught up to the vehicle and positively identified it as belonging to the man. This officer stopped the car at Lester Road and Apple Street.
Police Allege Obstructing: “Uncooperative” Person
According to police, Ms. Bowie was allegedly uncooperative. She said nothing happened that evening. Eventually, the officer convinced Ms. Bowie to get out of the vehicle and that he would give her a ride back home. Then, the man could pick up his car and leave for the night.
Ms. Bowie allegedly took her belongings from the vehicle and began to walk away, according to police. She reportedly began to run on the roadway.
Police told her to get off the road, but she allegedly refused, according to police.
An officer grabbed her from behind in an attempt to keep her off the roadway, according to police. She tried to break free from the officer by allegedly kicking her legs in the air and swinging her arms, according to police.
While she swung her arms, Ms. Bowie allegedly struck one officer in the left arm and another in the right arm, according to police. Police then arrested her on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer and took her back to the Park Forest Police Department.
DUI
Police arrested Dakeisha L. Scales, 29, Country Club Hills, on March 19 and charged her with DUI – alcohol and BAC over .08.
At around 11:20 PM, an officer responded to a disturbance report in the 100 block of South Orchard Drive. The caller told SouthCom Dispatch that “she was going to destroy of vehicle,” according to the report. The caller said, “She is going to run someone over.”
Upon arriving at the intersection of South Orchard Drive and Lakewood Boulevard, an officer saw a gray Buick Century. The officer activated his emergency lights and siren. The vehicle continued to move, allegedly failing to yield to an emergency vehicle, according to police.
After being followed with emergency lights and sirens, the car eventually stopped at Orchard Drive and Cunningham Lane.
There were two people inside. The driver was Dakeisha L. Scales, according to police.
Officer Suspects DUI
While the officer conducted the investigative stop, Ms. Scales told police that she was the complainant who called 911, according to the report. She said there had been an altercation at a local business and called 911.
While speaking with Ms. Scales, an officer observed “potential indicators of possible alcohol intoxication,” according to the report. Due to these indicators, the officer advised Ms. Scales to get out of the vehicle so he could conduct Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. After the tests, police arrested Ms. Scales on suspicion of driving under the influence and processed her at the Park Forest Police Department.
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.
