Park Forest, IL—(ENEWSPF)— Police arrested a Chicago woman and charged her with DUI, drugs, and alcohol when an officer pulled her over on Sauk Trail. She allegedly did not have he car’s lights on, police said.
That and other incidents follow in this report.
Park Forest Police Blotter Reports Beginning August 29, 2025
Domestic Battery
Police arrested Jonathan A. Jefferson, 30, of the 300 block of Forest Blvd., Park Forest, on August 29 and charged him with one count of domestic battery with physical contact.
Police responded to investigate a report of domestic battery at 11:15 AM. An officer spoke with the complainant, who alleged that Mr. Jefferson punched her in the face and hit her back with his cell phone as she attempted to leave the room where they were. The officer observed what appeared to be a red mark on the upper left side of the complainant’s face. Mr. Jefferson allegedly admitted that he “stuck on her,” which is a slang term for hitting someone, according to police.
Retail Theft
Police arrested two women when they responded to the Dollar General store at 10 Main St. on August 29 to investigate a report of retail theft in progress. Dispatch advised via radio that the suspect vehicle was turning northbound onto Forest Boulevard. Police were told to look for a black Range Rover.
An officer saw that vehicle at the intersection of Forest Boulevard and Lakewood Boulevard. He conducted an investigative stop. Another officer spoke with the complainant at the Dollar General store.
The complainant alleged that she saw two women acting suspiciously, carrying bags. She said both women allegedly placed merchandise into their bags and exited the store without paying, according to police. The complainant followed them into the parking lot and told them she was calling the police. One of the women, carrying a black bag, emptied it, according to police. It was full of miscellaneous merchandise, according to police.
The other woman carried a blue and white bag and did not empty it, according to police.
There was another witness, according to police.
Officer Watches Video of Alleged Theft
The officer at the Dollar General store was able to watch video footage of the alleged retail theft, according to police. He saw the bags allegedly used to steal merchandise, according to police.
In the report, the police list a number of items allegedly stolen and then returned to the Dollar General.
Officers arrested the women, Shaquille O. Walls, 32, of the 5900 block of West Rice St., Chicago, and Tatiana Y. Coleman, 32, of the 16900 block of Old Elm Drive, Country Club Hills, on August 29 and charged them with retail theft. Additionally, police charged Ms. Walls with obstructing identification, as she allegedly provided a false name to police. Police learned that Ms. Walls had an active warrant out of Cook County, so they held her on the warrant. Officers cited Ms. Coleman, charging her with retail theft, and released her.
DUI
Police arrested David Henry, 62, of the 200 block of Sauk Trail, Park Forest, on August 29 and issued him citations charging speeding, failure to signal, expired registration, illegal transportation of alcohol by a driver, and DUI alcohol. He had an initial court date of September 29, 2025, at the Will County Courthouse.
At around 10:14 PM, an officer traveling southbound on Western Ave. near Sauk Trail saw a silver vehicle driving behind him. As the vehicle continued southbound, it allegedly changed lanes without first signaling, according to police. The car then passed the officer’s squad car at approximately 40 miles per hour in the posted 35 miles per hour zone, according to police.
The vehicle was a silver Hyundai, according to police.
Police: Vehicle Had Expired Registration
As the car passed the intersection with Steger Road, it continued southbound, accelerating to approximately 49 miles per hour in the posted 40 miles per hour zone, according to police. The officer noted that the vehicle’s registration had expired as of December 2024.
Initiating a traffic stop, the officer informed the driver of the reason for the stop and asked for a license and proof of registration. According to police, the officer noted a moderate to strong odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from the interior of the car. The driver also allegedly displayed manual dexterity issues while attempting to retrieve his license from his wallet, according to police.
Officer Suspects DUI
The officer noticed a partially crushed Miller Genuine Draft can on the passenger floorboard of the car. The driver, identified as David Henry, provided his license and proof of insurance. He allegedly stated that he was aware of the expired registration and claimed he was on his way to University Park to pick up some food.
While speaking with Mr. Henry, the officer noted that he displayed red, glassy eyes and slurred his speech at times, according to the police. After the officer asked him, Mr. Henry allegedly told the officer he had one beer when he got off work at approximately 5:30 PM.
The officer conducted Standardized Field Sobriety Tests on Mr. Henry. Asking him to count down, in order, beginning with the number 67 and ending with 52, Mr. Henry allegedly counted “67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62” and then could not complete the test as instructed, according to police.
The officer noted other parts of the test in the report.
After the tests, the officer retrieved a preliminary and portable breathalyzer test, PBT, from his squad car. According to the report, Mr. Henry initially hesitated to take the PBT, asking the officer, “Am I going to get in trouble for this?” He eventually agreed to the test, which showed a BrAC of .105. Later, Mr. Henry refused to submit a breath sample to the police at the police station.
Aggravated Assault
Police arrested Lawrence D. Woods, 35, of W. Rocket Cir., Park Forest, on August 30 and charged him with aggravated assault.
Officers responded to a home in the first block of W. Rocket Cir. at 3:05 PM to investigate a domestic incident. The complainant alleged that she and Mr. Woods were in a heated argument over a television. A third party attempted to diffuse the situation, but Mr. Woods became upset at him for intervening. The two of them began to argue, according to the police.
Mr. Woods allegedly proceeded to grab a hammer, held the hammer up, and stated, “I’ll bust your ass,” according to police.
The third party then left the residence, fearing for his safety. The complainant left with him. The third party said he wanted to pursue criminal charges against Mr. Woods.
Mr. Woods had a mandatory first appearance court date of October 1, 2025, at Markham Courthouse.
DUI Drugs and Alcohol
Police arrested Cherokee M. Richardson, 32, of the 500 block of E. 40th St., Chicago, on August 31 and charged her with driving while under the influence of alcohol, driving while under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol, driving while under the influence of cannabis (within two hours of driving), and driving without lights when required. Ms. Richardson has an initial court date scheduled for October 16, 2025, at the Markham Courthouse.
An officer was heading westbound on Sauk Trail from Westwood Drive at 7:59 PM. He saw a 2008 Chevrolet traveling eastbound on Sauk Trail from Lakewood Boulevard without headlights on, according to police. Conducting a U-turn, the officer activated his squad’s emergency lights and brought the vehicle to a curb near the intersection of Sauk Trail and Westwood Drive.
Officer Suspects DUI
The officer spoke with the driver, Cherokee M. Richardson, and saw multiple cups and containers in the car. Ms. Richardson and the passenger in the vehicle allegedly admitted that some of the cups contained alcohol, according to police.
The officer noted an odor of an alcoholic beverage and burnt cannabis emanating from the vehicle.
According to the report, Ms. Richardson had glassy eyes and mumbled speech. The officer asked Ms. Richardson to perform Standardized Field Sobriety Tests. She agreed. While performing the tests, Ms. Richardson allegedly denied drinking alcohol but admitted to smoking cannabis approximately 30 minutes prior to Officer Nichols pulling her over, according to police.
After the tests, the officer arrested Ms. Richardson on suspicion of driving while under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol.
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.
