A man allegedly punched a River Forest police officer on June 23 after police responded to reports about different incidents with a similar description that morning according to a Village of River Forest press release.
Police arrested Daron Gray, 32, after locating him near Washington Boulevard and Park Avenue. He allegedly punched the approaching officer in the face, resisted arrest and spit on assisting officers. A “metal crowbar-type device” was also found in his sleeve.
This came after River Forest police responded to a report of a man that tried to hit a person with a crowbar hidden in his sleeve around 12:02 p.m. on the 100 block of Thatcher Avenue. The description of the suspect matched an incident that occurred earlier on the same day.
Previously that morning, around 9:26 a.m., River Forest police responded to reports of a man throwing rocks at people near the River Forest Metra station. During the search for the suspect, police were notified of a person who “battered several children and an adult in the forest preserve,” according to the press release.
There were no major injuries reported and the suspect was unable to be found before the investigation was turned over to the Cook County Forest Preserve Police.
The Cook County State’s Attorney’s Felony Review Unit charged Gray with two counts of Felony Aggravated Battery to a Police Officer, one count of Resisting Arrest, and one count of Aggravated Assault.
River Forest police officials did not respond to a request for comment.