Teen zapped with Taser at mall
North Riverside police used a Taser to subdue a 14-year-old Chicago boy, who was reportedly at the center of a large disturbance inside the food court at the North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 Cermak Road, on Dec. 26.
Two North Riverside police officers and mall security staff responded to the disturbance, reported as a fight among a group of teenage boys, at about 6:35 p.m. Officers reportedly observed a shirtless teenage boy push past the mall security manager in an attempt to continue the disturbance. According to the police report, police officers attempted to restrain the boy, who then raised his fists to police.
An officer used his Taser weapon, striking the boy in the chest area, according to the report. He was subdued and handcuffed at that time. The boy, who reportedly refused medical treatment, was charged with assault, disturbing the peace and disorderly conduct and released to his mother.
Man in bulletproof vest rattles patrons
North Riverside police responded to Olive Garden, 7513 Cermak Road, on Dec. 22 about 7:05 p.m. after an anonymous caller reported a suspicious man dressed in black and wearing sunglasses and a bulletproof vest entered the restaurant and “demanded” a glass of wine before sitting down in the waiting area, prompting about 30 customers to leave the building.
Police arrived and talked with the man, who was wearing a tactical vest with no ballistic armor. He had four canisters of pepper spray and two small knives on his person, according to police. A search of his vehicle turned up no other weapons.
No patron wished to sign a complaint against the man, whom two employees said was a regular customer and not a concern for them.
Driving on three tires
Riverside police charged a 53-year-old Chicago man with driving under the influence after an officer stopped him on the evening of Dec. 21 on Harlem Avenue for driving his 1993 Ford Explorer on just three tires.
The driver reportedly told the officer he had been driving on three tires for the past two hours, claiming he was looking for a gas station to change the tire.
The officer reported that the driver appeared intoxicated. While he denied drinking alcohol, the driver allegedly told police he had taken a prescription anti-anxiety drug prior to driving. Police reportedly found the controlled substance inside his vehicle.
The driver submitted to a urine test, which will be analyzed by the Illinois State Police lab to determine whether the drugs were capable of causing the impairment the officer observed.
He was charged with two DUI offenses and cited for traffic violations.
These items were obtained from police reports filed by the Riverside, North Riverside and Brookfield police departments, Dec. 21-27, 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.
