Why was Crestwood, Illinois police officer with troubled history allowed to resign after DUI?
A Crestwood, Illinois police officer recently charged with his second DUI has a troubled history in many other respects.
CBS News Chicago obtained personnel files for Crestwood police Officer Christopher Spencer, who has since resigned from his department. The files show issues involving the mistreatment of women and a state fraud investigation — as well as the two drunken driving incidents.
Spencer, 49, was arrested by Midlothian police Monday, March 31, after allegedly being involved in two incidents less than an hour apart.
Midlothian police said he was first involved in a hit-and-run crash in the parking lot of a White Castle on South Cicero Avenue. He entered the White Castle parking lot around 2:20 p.m. March 31 and hit a stop sign on the way in, police said.
Two minutes and 20 seconds later, Spencer was seen colliding with the back of a car in the drive-through line, according to Midlothian police. He bumped into the car again several more times before leaving the scene — driving onto the curb as he did so, police said.
Then, about 40 minutes later, police said he crashed his car into a home's garage in the 15100 block of South Kostner Avenue.
Police said the homeowner told officers the driver was drinking from a bottle of liquor as he sat in the car.
Midlothian police were confused when they caught up to Spencer at the second crash site. They said Spencer appeared impaired and refused a breathalyzer, and video shows him claiming a bottle of blackberry Crown Royal in the car was not his.
But Spencer's personnel file outlines some concerns about other conduct beyond that, and also about why he was allowed to resign when the file shows he should have been terminated.
The drunken driving arrest last month was Spencer's second. On Jan. 12, 2022, his blood alcohol was three times the legal limit when he drove his red Ford through someone's lawn. An empty bottle of Fireball whiskey in the cab of the Ford.
Spencer spent a year under court supervision for that arrest.
The 2022 DUI was listed as the top reason for a Last Chance Agreement filed in Spencer's personnel file with the Crestwood Police Department. But the disciplinary form outlines other allegations.
They included:
- Sexual harassment and harassment via text messages
- The viewing of a lewd video at the police station
- A fraud investigation by the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services
CBS News Chicago also found out while working for the police department in Manhattan, Illinois in Will County, Spencer was written up twice for inappropriate behavior with women he had pulled over.
He also earned three certifications of appreciation for his work from the Schaumburg-based Alliance Against Intoxicated Motorists.
That Last Chance Agreement with the Crestwood Police Department required 15-day suspension and workplace sensitivity training, and added that any future violations would result in immediate termination.
CBS News Chicago asked the Crestwood police chief about this. The chief initially said there was an investigation, but then said Spencer resigned from the department before the investigation could be launched — providing a letter postmarked after we asked.
The letter, which Spencer signed, was dated after CBS News Chicago started asking questions.
From the control room, Sara Machi, CBS news Chicago.
