Law and Order, Local Police Reports, Park Forest

Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Through February 26, 2020


Officer Craig Taylor
Officer Craig Taylor of the Park Forest Police Department. (Photo: PFPD)

Park Forest, IL-(ENEWSPF)- These police reports include arrests through February 26, 2020. Charges include criminal damage to property and domestic battery. The criminal damage to property charge necessitated officers from three jurisdictions, according to the report.

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.

Providing more details than readers will find in any other police beat reports, we invite readers to subscribe to get the whole story, every day.

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.

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.

eNews Park Forest reports this information because the public in the United States has the right to know.  When that information is withheld or under-reported, it leaves questions.  We also want to show the work that the police force does every day that is not reported.  Police in Park Forest respond to thousands of calls per year, the vast majority of which do not end up with arrests.  Whether it’s conducting a routine investigation, pulling over a drunk driver, or responding to a possible theft at a store, the work of the police officer deserves acknowledgment by the public.

Criminal Damage to Property, Resisting

Ronald Griffin III, 20, 303 W. 35th St., Steger, was arrested on February 20 and charged with criminal damage to property and resisting arrest.

An officer responded to the New Colonies Apartment complex in Steger, Illinois, at 2 AM attempting to locate a black Chevrolet Cruze on suspicion that the vehicle was used by Ronald Griffin allegedly in the commission of criminal damage to property in Park Forest, according to police. The officer located the Chevrolet parked in the 300 block of West 35th Street in Steger.

Another officer from Park Forest arrived on the scene to assist.

At 2:18 AM the first officer on the scene from Park Forest met with officers from the Steger Police Department and knocked at the apartment door or the owner of the Chevrolet lived, according to police. The owner said that Mr. Griffin was not at the residence and she didn’t know where he was, according to police. The officer advised the owner that her Chevrolet would be towed on suspicion that it was involved in the commission of a crime allegedly by Mr. Griffin in Park Forest.

At this point, the owner of the Chevrolet exited her residence and told the officer that Mr. Griffin was inside and that she was concerned for her child’s safety because of the way Mr. Griffin had been acting, according to police. She said she had called the Steger Police Department at 10 PM earlier that day regarding an argument she said she had with Mr. Griffin, according to police.

She permitted police to enter the apartment and they found Mr. Griffin lying on a bed. The officer from Park forest told Mr. Griffin he was under arrest and to put his hands behind his back.

Mr. Griffin allegedly replied, “For what bro. I didn’t do sh*t. What did I do?”

The officer from Park Forest attempted to put Mr. Griffin’s right arm behind his back but Mr. Griffin allegedly pulled his arm away in an attempt not to get handcuffed, according to police. The officer yelled at Mr. Griffin and told him to stop resisting and had to push Mr. Griffin onto his stomach on the bed in order for him and another officer to handcuff him, according to police.

Mr. Griffin was allegedly “screaming and was highly agitated with the officers,” according to police.

As the first officer at the scene from Park Forest walked Mr. Griffin through the living room, Mr. Griffin was allegedly screaming and refused to walk forward towards the door, according to police. Mr. Griffin allegedly attempted to break away from the officers, according to police. Police pushed Mr. Griffin down onto the couch and then onto the floor in order to restrain him, according to police. One of the officers had to hold Mr. Griffin’s legs because he was allegedly kicking at the officers, according to police.

Police called for more units to assist and officers from South Chicago Heights and Crete responded, according to police.

One of the officers then used flex-cuffs to cuff Mr. Griffin’s ankles because he was allegedly kicking his legs, refusing to be taken to the squad vehicle, according to police. Multiple officers then carried Mr. Griffin to the Park Forest squad vehicle, according to police.

At 3:05 AM, officers placed Mr. Griffin in a holding cell at the Park Forest Police Department. He was later charged and assigned a court date of March 13, 2020, at the Markham Courthouse, on the charge of criminal damage to property. Mr. Griffin was assigned a court date of April 1, 2020, at the Joliet Courthouse on the charge of resisting arrest.

He was later released to a family member after he posted bond, according to police.

Domestic Battery

Joshua V. Williams, 20, 93 Fir St., Park Forest, was arrested on February 22 and charged with domestic battery after police responded to the first block of Fir Street to investigate a report of domestic battery.

Upon arrival, an officer found a woman sitting on the ground crying, according to police.

The woman told police that she was talking to her son on her cell phone when her current boyfriend, Joshua V. Williams, allegedly became agitated because Mr. Williams thought she was talking to her son’s father, her ex-boyfriend, according to police.

She said Mr. Williams allegedly grabbed the cell phone away from her and then allegedly slammed her on the kitchen floor, according to police. Mr. Williams then allegedly pushed her towards the corner of the kitchen and allegedly kicked her approximately four times while she was still on the floor, according to police.

Mr. Williams then went to the upstairs bedroom and the alleged victim followed, according to police. She said when she tried to grab her cell phone away from Mr. Williams, he allegedly grabbed her and tossed her over the bed and she landed between the bed and dresser, according to police.

Mr. Williams then allegedly slammed her face against the dresser several times, according to police.

Mr. Williams then allegedly left the residence with the cell phone, according to police.

Mr. Williams was not on the scene when officers arrived, according to police. An officer left the residence to prepare the complainant on a domestic battery charge. When the officer returned to that address he saw a man standing on the porch outside the residence. The man identified himself as Joshua Williams, according to police. The officer advised Mr. Williams that he was under arrest on suspicion of domestic battery, according to police.


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