A Berwyn man was chased and shot with a Taser gun twice by police after running away from officers that found him smoking a marijuana cigar in the parking lot of Portillo’s, 7740 W. Roosevelt Road on the night of May 30.
Responding to a dispatch call regarding a potential public intoxication incident, officers approached 29-year-old Antwan Berry, after supposedly seeing him stumbling around the abovementioned location on foot and nonchalantly smoking what is commonly referred to as a “blunt.”
The officers asked Berry to stop and he obliged the request, however, police claim he was noncompliant in answering “investigatory” questions about his whereabouts prior to their locating him. An officer also reported that Berry smelled of cannabis.
During the attempted interview, authorities reported finding a bag of marijuana at Berry’s feet, and when one of the officers reached to pick up the baggie, Berry took off on foot.
He was pursued and eventually apprehended near the intersection of Desplaines Avenue and Roosevelt Road after the prods of an officer’s Taser gun connected with his body – an earlier attempt by another officer also chasing Berry was futile. The shock caused Berry to fall to the ground; however, police stated that he refused to stay down, so he was shot again with a Taser gun.
Police also claim that additional “physical force” had to be applied by a number of assisting officers in order to place Berry into a squad car, as he refused to submit to orders.
At the station, Berry was processed and charged with resisting arrest, possession of a controlled substance and obstructing identification.
Detergent and diaper stealing thief ‘needs the money’
After she was arrested for an alleged attempt to shoplift $91.71 of merchandise at the 7200 W. Roosevelt Rd. Walgreen’s on the morning of June 1, Gloria Watson of Chicago told police that she sells stolen items out of destitution.
A store pharmacist and another witness told police that they both saw Watson take four bottles of Tide detergent, four bottles of Downy detergent and one bag of Huggies diapers and place them all in a shopping cart, after which, she non-discretely walked out the front door without paying.
Walgreen’s personnel then confronted Watson in the parking lot, as she was entering a vehicle in an attempt to flee. While this was happening the responding officer was seen on patrol in his car and was flagged down.
When the officer made contact with Watson she initially gave him a false name; however, when a computer check revealed the name she provided was not hers, Watson was advised to provide her real name or face a charge of obstructing identification. She then complied and another computer search of her real identity revealed an active Cook County, no-bond arrest warrant for shoplifting.
Watson was taken into custody, and during an interview with police she stated, “I needed the money, I sell it to whoever wants it.”
She was charged with the having the in-state warrant and retail theft.
Man breaks into apartment, refuses to leave
Police tussled with a 20-year-old Cicero resident that refused to leave his girlfriend’s Forest Park apartment after allegedly breaking in through a window in the wee hours of June 1.
Authorities were dispatched to the abovementioned scene, where a Forest Park woman claimed she wanted her boyfriend, Juan Castenada, removed from her apartment after he entered without her permission and refused to leave.
Because she told police that she did not wish to press charges, Castenada was informed that if he left, no action would be taken against him.
It initially appeared as though he was willing to comply, however, before he left Castenada asked the responding officers if he could speak with his girlfriend. At this time he reportedly made a thinly veiled threat toward her, and was subsequently apprehended.
As authorities attempted to remove Castenada, he fell to the floor and initiated a violent resistance, kicking one officer and grabbing another’s legs, so as to prevent the officer from moving.
At the police station Castenada apologized to police for what he called a “bad decision.” He was charged with obstructing justice and resisting arrest.
Suspended license, traffic citations
Edward B. Williams, 28, of Chicago, was stopped by police at 7307 W. Roosevelt Rd. early May 28 after attempting to elude a red light near the Harlem Avenue intersection. He did so by entering a parking lot from Harlem in order to turn onto Roosevelt. When he was pulled over, a computer check of Williams’ license informed police that his driving privileges were suspended. Moreover, Williams failed to provide authorities with any proof of insurance for the vehicle he was driving. He was subsequently arrested and received local citations for avoiding a traffic light, operating an uninsured vehicle and driving on a suspended license.
Traffic violation, other charges
A car driven by 37-year-old Willowbrook resident Robert Blunt was stopped for a traffic violation at the 7323 W. Randolph Street Citgo gas station on the morning of June 4. When police made contact with Blunt he informed the officer that he did not have a license on him. A computer name check revealed that his driving privileges were revoked and that he had three active arrest warrants. As a result Blunt was then placed under arrest. Police then performed a search of the vehicle Blunt was driving and in the rear passenger area discovered a boat motor, two archery bows, a number of CDs, and a blue duffel bag with an “Air India” boarding tag that was dated March 9.
The officer claimed he thought the items might have been stolen from any number of garages given the recent heightened level of such burglaries that have been reported in the Oak Park, River Forest and Forest Park areas. Subsequently, Oak Park authorities were contacted and it turned out that officers from the neighboring town were in the process of interviewing one of the victim’s from whom some of the items were allegedly seized. A number of victims were contacted and at Forest Park headquarters they claimed ownership to their respective items that were found in Blunt’s car.
Forest Park issued Blunt citations for driving with a revoked license, driving without insurance, and having no proof of valid insurance. He was then turned over to Oak Park authorities where he faced other charges.
These items were taken from the records of the Forest Park Police Department between May 31 and June 6, 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 Nicholas Moroni
