Police Force Entry, Make Arrests in Downers Apartment With Weed

Two men were arrested during an investigation of a Downers Grove apartment that reeked of marijuana and had a surveillance camera outside, according to police.

Jermaine J. Barfield, 36, of the first block of Swinford Court, Bolingbrook, was charged with possession of cannabis under 30 grams. The apartment's lease holder, Timothy M. Hunt, 49, of the 6000 block of Ross Drive, Woodridge, was charged with attempted obstructing justice.

Two Downers Grove detectives visited the apartment, located on the 2000 block of Prentiss Drive, at 2:57 p.m. May 6. They found out that Hunt changed the locks on his unit and installed a video camera outside a window, according to a police report. These were indicators of possible drug use, police said. No one answered the door to the apartment, which the detective said had a strong odor of cannabis coming from it.

A patrol officer was called to assist with the case, and he spotted Hunt arriving to the building. Hunt entered a back door and then headed for the exit when police caught up to him on the second floor. He was arrested.

The detectives got a key for the new locks from Hunt, who told them there shouldn't be anyone inside. When they used the key to open the door, they found the interior door chain was fastened.

"Now I believed that someone was inside the apartment and feared that they would immediately destroy any evidence related to the possession of cannabis," the police report said. "I forced entry and announced loudly that police officers were at the door."

A tall man, later identified as Barfield, emerged from a rear bedroom area with his hands in his pockets. A detective approached the man at gunpoint and instructed him to put his hands up, which he did, according to the report.

A Woodridge police officer was called to the scene with her K-9 unit. They found several items of drug paraphernalia and $1,233 on Barfield. Hunt posted a $150 cash bond and Barfield was released on an I-bond. They each have a June 12 court date at the DuPage County Courthouse in Wheaton.

Editor's note: Several parts of this police report were redacted, including one full page of narrative. The report was made available to media by the Downers Grove Police Department.

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Police Blotter information is provided by local law enforcement agencies. Charges are not evidence of guilt. They are a record of police actions taken 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.