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Man Charged After Allegedly Allowing Juvenile to Drive


As part of new safety procedures, officers are not wearing their uniforms home, including foot wear, to protect their families.
Rows of duty boots stand ready in front of police lockers. New safety procedures at the PFPD are in effect due to COVID-19. Officers are not wearing their uniforms home, including footwear, to protect their families. (Photo: PFPD)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- A Park Forest man was arrested and charged after he allegedly permitted a juvenile to drive, police said. The officer suspected that the man was intoxicated, but his breathalyzer test later came in just under the .08 limit, according to police.

Travis D. McClore, 324 Farragut St., Park Forest, was arrested on June 6 and charged with obstructing a peace officer; permitting an unauthorized person to drive; expired driver’s license – less than one year; no insurance; and improper lane usage.

An officer was on patrol in the area of Allegheny Street and Algonquin Street at approximately 11:30 PM when he saw a vehicle stopped in the middle of the roadway blocking both lanes of traffic, according to police. The officer waited for several seconds (13, according to the report) for the vehicle to move, but it failed to do so, according to the police. The officer then activated the emergency lights on his police vehicle and the car turned into the parking lot of Algonquin School.

The officer notified SouthCom Dispatch of the traffic stop and approached the vehicle.

While approaching the car, the officer observed the driver allegedly jump over the center console into the rear seating compartment of the car and the front seat passenger move over to the driver’s seat, according to police.

The officer immediately contacted the driver and confronted him about changing seats. The driver allegedly repeated several times, “We are good,” according to the report.

The officer then observed that the person who had been driving appeared to be very young, 11 or 12 years old, according to police.

The officer asked the driver how old the child was and the driver again stated, “We are good,” according to police.

The officer asked the driver for his driver’s license which identified him as Travis McClore. Mr. McClore allegedly told the officer that he did not have proof of insurance, that it was on his phone, and he did not have his phone with him, according to police.

While speaking with Mr. McClore, the officer saw that his eyes were glassy and bloodshot and that he had slurred speech while speaking, according to police. The officer also detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the interior of the vehicle, according to police.

Approximately 40 seconds into the traffic stop, another vehicle arrived on the scene and several subjects began approaching the traffic stop. The officer questioned a woman who approached and entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle the officer had stopped. The woman said the driver was her husband and the children in the vehicle were hers, according to police.

The officer told the second vehicle to move up and not to interfere with the traffic stop.

Another officer then arrived on the scene.

The officer who had initiated the stop then asked the driver to exit the vehicle so he could investigate further.

Several more family members then arrived on the scene and surrounded the traffic stop, according to police. The officer attempted to question Mr. McClore regarding the age of the person he allegedly allowed to drive, according to police.

Mr. McClore told the officer that he was driving the vehicle, according to police.

The officer told Mr. McClore that he saw that he was not driving, according to police. The officer then had to stop questioning Mr. McClore and address family members who were approaching the traffic stop, telling them to step back from the stopped vehicle, according to police.

The officer then took Mr. McClore into custody on suspicion of obstructing a peace officer and to conduct a DUI investigation, according to police.

Family members immediately said they were taking the vehicle and the officer again had to instruct them to stay back, according to police.

Additional officers were requested to the scene and to arrived to assist. The first officer at the scene told the newly-arrived officers to keep everyone back, according to police.

Several more family members arrived on the scene and additional officers were requested. An officer from Park forest and to Richton Park officers arrived to assist.

The original officer who made the traffic stop spoke with family members and explained the reason for the stop. The officer told the family members of his suspicion that Mr. McClore changed seats with what appeared to be a very young child, according to police. Family members told the officer that the child was not young and that she was 15 years old, according to police.

The officer also told family members that it also appeared Mr. McClore was intoxicated and that an investigation needed to be conducted.

Family members then began to argue that the vehicle could not be towed because there were people with valid driver’s licenses at the scene. The officer attempted to explain the village ordinance in reference to vehicle seizures but family members continued to argue, according to police.

The vehicle that had been stopped was inventoried and police found an open bottle of cognac 200ML inside on the floorboard, according to police.

The vehicle was towed from the scene.

While trying to control the scene the child who was allegedly originally driving the vehicle exited and left the scene, according to police. Police were unable to obtain her name or date of birth, according to the report.

The cognac was photographed and destroyed. Photos were later downloaded into the evidence database, according to police.

At the Park Forest Police Department, Mr. McClore agreed to a breathalyzer test and an officer administered the test.

The test showed a BAC of .075, according to the report.

Police then placed Mr. McClore in a cell while the arresting officer reviewed his squad car video.

“It clearly shows a female driving and McClore in the front passenger seat,” according to the report.

Mr. McClore was issued a recognizance bond and given a court date of July 27, 2020, at the Markham Courthouse. He was released at 1:30 AM.

About Police Reports

Please note that we repeatedly say “according to police” in these reports and often use the word “allegedly.” We are not asserting in any way that those arrested and/or charged have committed any offenses. We report on what is in the media reports furnished by police. As those charged are innocent until proven guilty, the burden is on prosecutors and police to prove all alleged crimes.

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eNews Park Forest has always published 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 who have been charged, including their name, age, and address. This information is necessary to ensure the proper identity of those arrested.

An arrest does not mean that a person is guilty. All those arrested are presumed innocent until proven guilty. It is the policy of eNews Park Forest to not remove items in the public record from publication. If your name is listed in the police reports, 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.

All of the incidents in this report were captured on body-worn and/or dash-mounted cameras by officers at the respective scenes, according to police. All Park Forest police officers wear body-worn cameras. These devices are now typically abbreviated BWC in the reports.

Persons wishing to leave anonymous information on any criminal matters including narcotics or gang activity are encouraged to call the Park Forest Police Department Investigations Division at (708) 748-1309.


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