An early morning bar fight on Madison required several Forest Park police officers and the support of two neighboring departments to quell the disturbance, according to a department report. In the end, no serious injuries were reported but six patrons of Slainte, 7505 Madison, were arrested.
Shortly after midnight Jan. 16, police were called to the bar where they found a large number of patrons involved in a skirmish. According to witnesses, 27-year-old James Pawlak, of Roselle, started the trouble after another patron asked that Pawlak refrain from bumping into him.
Pawlak allegedly continued to berate the other patron and the bartender began ordering people to leave. On his way out the door, Pawlak delivered a body check, according to police, which escalated the confrontation.
Pawlak was arrested for battery and trespassing.
Also charged with trespassing were Lawrence Viverito, 24, of Forest Park; Dane Pellegrini, 24, of Forest Park; Noelle Schlanger, 23, of Elmwood Park; Steven Schwartz, 24, of Elmwood Park; and Ryan Thezan, 24, of Elmwood Park.
Schlanger was also charged with battery for allegedly throwing a drinking glass or glass bottle, which struck another woman in the face.
Suspect accuses police of racism
An Oak Park man enraged over what he perceived to be racial discrimination was arrested for aggravated assault and resisting a police officer following an early morning traffic stop on Jan. 14.
According to a department report, 51-year-old Blake Baranauskas was stopped while driving on the 400 block of Elgin at about 2 a.m. Police stopped the man because the vehicle’s headlights were not on, according to the report. Baranauskas, who is black, immediately denied the accusation and accused the officer of harassment.
“If I was a white boy you wouldn’t have stopped me,” Baranauskas allegedly said.
The officer cited the man for several traffic violations and was about to leave the scene when Baranauskas reportedly asked for another explanation of the tickets. A “racial tirade” met the officer’s explanations and Baranauskas exited the car with his fists clenched. The man then reached into his coat pocket and, fearing he had a weapon, officers grabbed his arm, which prompted a struggle.
While at the police station, Baranauskas allegedly continued to threaten police with violence.
Man revived after stroke
Police responded to the 7200 block of Circle on Jan. 15 where they found a man lying on the sidewalk, unconscious, in frigid temperatures. According to Police Chief Jim Ryan, the 51-year-old man had suffered a cardiac embolism shortly before noon, probably while walking toward the nearby Green Line station.
“When our officers got there, they thought he was deceased,” Ryan said.
An ambulance arrived and paramedics were able to revive the man, said Ryan. Though the subject’s name was not released, he was identified as a resident of Forest Park, residing on the 200 block of Circle. Police said the man was admitted to the hospital in critical but stable condition.
Jewelry reported stolen from condos
A condo building on the 600 block of Elgin was allegedly burgled Jan. 14, and police were called to two different homes there for reports of missing jewelry and other valuables.
Shortly after 3:30 p.m. that day, authorities were called by a woman who reported more than two dozen items had been stolen sometime between 7 a.m. that day and the time of her call. Police found a screwdriver on a bedroom dresser that was likely used to pry locked doors.
Among the items reported stolen were a gold tennis bracelet, a sapphire and diamond necklace, a jade butterfly pin, rings, gold chains and other assorted jewelry.
Just before 8 p.m. that evening, police were called back to the building for another burglary report, again involving several items of jewelry and a digital camera.
He came in the front door
A man went to the police department Jan. 12 to settle a dispute over a parking ticket that had been issued, but was arrested when authorities realized he was wanted by Cook County Sheriffs on a warrant issued in February 2008.
Anthony Kershaw, 51, of Chicago, was taken into custody at 4:30 p.m. for allegedly having violated the conditions of his release. Those conditions were imposed as a result of Kershaw being charged with driving under the influence. No new charges were filed against Kershaw by Forest Park police.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between Jan. 12 and Jan. 16, and represent only a portion of the incidents to which police responded. Anyone named in this report has only been charged with a crime. The cases have not been adjudicated.
-Compiled by Josh Adams
