The Village of Oak Park | 123 Madison St.  Oak Park, IL 60302 | village@oak-park.us

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Statement from Oak Park Police Chief Shatonya Johnson

June 30, 2023 – Below is a statement from Oak Park Chief of Police Shatonya Johnson:

“It has come to the attention of the Village of Oak Park and the Oak Park Police Department that a recent police activity in the community has drawn an elevated interest.

On Wednesday, June 28, around 9:50 p.m., an Oak Park police officer on routine patrol ran the license plate of an occupied vehicle that later parked in the 300 block of Home Ave. The check revealed that the vehicle was reported stolen out of Chicago earlier that day. Additional OPPD units soon responded to the scene as is the standard protocol for a stolen and occupied vehicle. This is due to the fact that many serious and sometimes violent offenses are linked to stolen vehicles.

As such, the two occupants of the stolen vehicle, one male driver and one female passenger, were detained at the scene and later handcuffed while police began an initial investigation. When the female passenger stated to responding officers that the handcuffs had been placed on too tightly, officers immediately loosened them.

After communicating with the Chicago Police Department to verify that a stolen vehicle in its jurisdiction had been located, Oak Park Police contacted the vehicle’s registered owner. Officers learned that the male driver of the vehicle was known to the registered owner. The owner indicated she did not want the male driver arrested. Officers also learned that the vehicle had been missing since November 19, 2022, but the owner reported it stolen only Wednesday after receiving multiple parking violations for the vehicle in the mail.

Following the brief detainment, and once released from the scene, the female passenger of the vehicle posted about the incident on social media.

The Oak Park Police Department has since contacted the resident and is scheduling a follow-up meeting to discuss her concerns. OPPD is also conducting an internal investigation into the incident.”