South Suburban DUI Arrests, Sept. 9

AUG. 30: Kevin C. Snell, 47, of the 18700 block of East Salem Court in Lansing, was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after police stopped him for traveling north in the southbound lane of Halsted Street, according to the report. Asked if he had been drinking, Snell told police he had one beer within the previous 30 minutes. Asked to exit his vehicle, Snell dropped a pile of cards on his lap and outside the vehicle, police said. After taking field sobriety tests, Snell was taken into custody. He was also charged with improper lane usage, no proof of insurance and having an alcohol concentration above .08, according to the report. 

AUG. 26: Mark A Pallanti, 48, of the 600 block of Sangamon in Chicago Heights, was arrested at 26th Street and East End Avenue and charged with Retail Theft (from Jewel), driving under the influence of alcohol, having a blood alcohol content level over .08 and driving without insurance, according to the report.

AUG. 29: Robert Matthews, 49, of the 8800 block of Rockwell, was charged with driving under the influence. He was stopped at 2:08 a.m. at 103rd Street and Sawyer Avenue because his license plate light was not lit, police said. He failed a field sobriety test and a breath test resulted in a .208, police said. 

AUG. 28: Johnnie Windham, 40, of the 8500 block of South Elizabeth in Chicago, was charged with driving under the influence. His car was facing south in the northbound lane of 93rd Street and Pulaski Road at 12:30 a.m., police said. Windham was behind the window and asleep with his foot on the break and a bottle of beer in the car, police said. He could not stand and was unable to engage in field sobriety tests, police said. He refused a breath test. 

AUG. 31: Police arrested Matthew Lee Goodman, of the 2300 block of 10000 North Street, Manteno, for driving under the influence after stopping him in the 16200 block of S. Cicero Ave. Police stopped Goodman after clocking him at 52 mph in a 25 mph zone. During the stop, officers noticed an open Coors Lite can sitting in the cupholder of his car, which his passenger claimed. Goodman submitted to standard field sobriety tests, which he could not complete and was taken into custody. Goodman was taken to the Oak Forest Police Department, where he was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, no insurance, speeding over posted limit and violation of vehicle impound. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 12.

AUG. 30: Police arrested Michael L. Davis, of the 500 block of Des Plaines Avenue, Forest Park, for driving under the influence of alcohol after a traffic stop in the 15800 block of Cicero Ave. Davis was involved in a accident, which police responded to.

At the accident, officers found a partially full half-pint of New Amsterdam Gin on the passenger floorboard of Davis' car. Davis submitted to field sobriety tests, although he was unable to complete them. He was taken to the hospital for treatment and submitted to blood and urine testing while there. After treatment, Davis was taken into custody and charged with DUI, illegal transportation of open alcohol, and driving without insurance. He is scheduled to appear in court on Oct. 12.

AUG. 25: Dirk Ferguson, 34, of the 200 block of Ladder Branch Road in Combs, KY, was charged with possession of less than 30 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, failing to wear a seatbelt and two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol, according to a police report. Ferguson's vehicle was stopped in a "seatbelt enforcement zone." Police said he showed signs of possible impairment and that they could smell an odor of burnt cannabis. Ferguson also performed field sobriety tests. He was arrested, charged and given a $3,000 bond.

AUG. 20: Jorge L. Romero, 20, of the 15800 block of Orland Brook Drive in Orland Park, was arrested around 4:40 p.m. near the intersection of 183rd Street and Harlem Avenue in Tinley Park. He was charged with possession of alcohol by a minor, improper lane use, failure to signal when required, driving under the influence, driving without a valid driver's license and driving without wearing a seat belt. 

AUG. 20: A woman who told police she'd had a few beers while golfing was accused around 9:30 p.m. of driving under the influence. Police came across Katie C. Bickham, 31, of the 17200 block of South Valley Drive in Tinley Park, while investigating an accident near the intersection of 173rd Street and Oak Park Avenue, they said. While investigating, the officer detected alcohol on Bickham's breath, according to reports. 

Bickham reportedly failed field sobriety tests and was taken into custody. At the station, she blew a .213 on the Breathalyzer, according to the report.

"Suspect requested to use the phone to call her attorney … for a ride home," the report said. "After the phone conversation, (an officer) asked if he was coming for her and suspect advised that he was at the golf course with her and also had too much to drink so he was not able to come to the station."

Bickham was charged with driving under the influence of alcohol and driving under the influence with a blood-alcohol content greater than 0.08.

Police report information is provided by local police departments. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions on a given day, and persons charged with a crime are presumed innocent until proven guilty in court. If you or a family member are charged or cited and the case is subsequently adjudicated, we encourage you to notify the editor. We will verify and report the outcome.