Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)—A Park Forest woman is facing three felony counts of domestic battery after an incident at her home, police said.
Police arrested Rolanda Foster, 54, of the 200 block of Kentucky St., Park Forest, on August 5 and charged her with aggravated domestic battery and two counts of aggravated battery.
Police responded to a home in the 200 block of Kentucky Street at 2:23 PM to investigate a report of a domestic disturbance. The caller alleged that Rolanda Foster pulled a knife on another person at the home.
When police arrived, they met with the alleged victim. According to police, he said that he received a phone call from a family member who alleged that Ms. Foster was throwing items around and yelling. The alleged victim said that he could overhear Ms. Foster throwing items and shouting through the phone.
He told police he began heading to the home on Kentucky Street to prevent the argument from turning physical.
Police: Argument Turns Physical
When he arrived, he found Ms. Foster arguing with a family member downstairs. The argument then carried over outside, where Ms. Foster allegedly pushed the alleged victim, according to police. This victim then placed himself between Ms. Foster and the other family member as a barrier, police said. He did this to prevent anything from turning physical, according to police.
Ms. Foster then allegedly grabbed the victim by the neck with both hands for approximately 1 to 3 seconds, police said. While her hands were on his neck, the victim stated that he did not black out or lose consciousness. However, he did have obstructed breathing, police said.
Once he realized what was happening, he said he pushed Ms. Foster off him, according to police. This caused Ms. Foster to fall the few stairs outside, according to police.
A Knife
Ms. Foster then walked back up the stairs and into the home to grab a knife, according to police. The victim said that Ms. Foster then came outside with the knife and held it while she yelled for them to leave, police said.
One officer observed a fresh abrasion to the right side of the victim’s neck consistent with being scratched, according to police. The skin underneath was a bright red, police said.
The victim was not wearing a shirt. The officer asked what happened to the shirt.
He said that when Ms. Foster fell, she allegedly grabbed onto his shirt, ripping it from him, according to police. The alleged victim did not wish paramedics to treat him. He said he was willing to cooperate with a felony investigation of aggravated domestic battery, police said. Police ultimately charged Ms. Foster with three felony counts of battery: one aggravated domestic battery and two aggravated battery charges.
The victim agrees to cooperate with a felony investigation.
When police spoke with Ms. Foster, she alleged that she felt she was being teamed up on and that the alleged victim pushed her. She told police she did not have a knife, according to the report.
Police took Ms. Foster into custody on suspicion of domestic battery after hearing similar accounts from witnesses at the scene and the injuries to the victim, according to police.
About Police Reports
Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use “allegedly.” We are not asserting that the police officers arrested and charged committed any offenses. We report on the information contained 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 consistently published the names and 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 identification of those arrested.
Presumption of Innocence
An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. The law presumes that all those arrested by police 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 individuals wishing to leave anonymous information regarding any criminal matters, including narcotics or gang activity, to call the Park Forest Police Department’s Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.
