A Forest Park police officer was dragged by a car on March 18. Officers were called to Crystal Car Wash, 901 Harlem Ave., on March 18 at 12:03 p.m. A vehicle that had previously used multiple credit cards in what seemed to be deceptive practice at the car wash had returned. An officer located the suspected vehicle on Roosevelt Road and stopped the vehicle on Marengo Avenue. While talking to the driver, he noticed the driver’s hand reaching for the gear shift. “Don’t do it,” said the officer who grabbed the shift in an attempt to stop the driver from taking off.

The car began to drive away, dragging the officer for a second before he let go. Although sore, the officer did not report any significant injuries.

Vehicle burglarized

A car was burglarized on March 16 around 8 a.m. on the 800 block of Circle Ave. The owner reported leaving the car parked on the street for about five minutes to go into a house. When the owner returned, the passenger side door was wide open and a purse and backpack were missing. The Black Guess purse contained a Samsung tablet valued at $50, a $25 Target gift card and a small pink bag containing makeup and personal care items. The backpack is a black, white and royal blue Jordan brand bag containing medications, a pack of cigarettes and approximately $15. 

Skate park vandalized

The skate park at the Park District of Forest Park suffered graffiti damage sometime between March 13 and 16. Police were called on March 16 at 9:05 a.m. when a park employee said he observed the gated fence had been cut open and the offender(s) had spray painted in red and black on the skate ramps. The graffiti did not appear to have any obvious gang affiliation.

Music played too loud

A man was given a village ordinance violation for playing his car music too loud on the 400 block of Marengo at 12:11 a.m. on March 17. The vehicle drove past a patrol officer and did not turn the music down. The officer could still hear music blaring from the car as it went through a traffic light approximately a block away.

The officer stopped the vehicle and made contact with the driver, who said there was no way the officer could have heard his music since there’s no sound system in the car. He called the officer “racist” and “bored.” The officer tried to explain that they were in a residential area and people were sleeping, but the suspect kept on name-calling.

The man was issued a local ordinance citation for loud music from a vehicle over 50 feet away and advised to keep his music down. He was asked to be a more considerate neighbor.

Parking permit sticker stolen

A village of Forest Park parking permit sticker was stolen from a car in the lot at the corner of Circle Avenue and Madison Street on March 16. Police were called on March 17 when a man discovered that the sticker had been stolen from his mother’s car. No damage was done to the car in the removal of the sticker.

Man threatens others with knife

Police were called to the 200 block of Circle Avenue on March 17 at 3:39 p.m. for an aggravated assault involving a subject with a knife. Officers immediately recognized the man as someone they’d encountered before in incidents involving the subject carrying knives while intoxicated.

The subject held a large knife in his right hand. The reporting officer demanded he drop the knife at gunpoint. Instead, the subject raised the knife up and out to the side. The officer again ordered him to drop the knife, and this time he complied, dropping it to the ground.

The subject was ordered to his knees and he complied, but when ordered to lie flat on the ground with his arms out, he stayed on his knees and reached slowly into his jacket with his right hand while staring at the officer.

Knowing the subject has in the past carried multiple knives, the officer ordered him once more to show his hands and lie on the ground. When he failed to comply, the officer went behind him and used a knee to push him to the ground, pinning his hand under him. His hands were empty, and he was handcuffed.

When searching the subject, officers found another large fixed blade knife in a sheath clipped to the inside of his sweatpants. Inside his jacket was an open can of Bud Ice beer. 

Prior to the police being called, the subject had threatened two people, saying he would kill them. He was processed on one count of aggravated assault and one count of unlawful use of a weapon. He will be held pending bond hearings. 

Graffiti sprayed overnight

A resident on the 800 block of Ferdinand Avenue called the police department to report graffiti on an overhead garage door on March 20 at 7:26 a.m. The homeowner reported that sometime between March 19 and 20 someone had used blue spray paint to draw large letters, numbers and symbols on the door. 

At 7:56 a.m., the same officer observed graffiti on a garage on the 900 block of Lathrop Avenue. This graffiti was also blue and also consisted of large letters, numbers and symbols.

These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Forest Park Police Department, March 16-22, and represent a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Unless otherwise indicated, anybody named in these reports has only been charged with a crime. These cases have not been adjudicated.

Compiled by Maria Maxham