Woman Citing 5th Amendment Charged with Obstructing a Police Officer

said a woman who was being arrested on a retail theft charge refused to give them her information, saying she didn’t have to as was her Fifth Amendment right.

Police said on Aug. 7, Asia Parks, 19, of Chicago was charged with obstructing a police officer at 4:42 p.m. at Walmart, 2500 W. 95th St. According to reports, an officer called to Walmart to investigate possible theft had three people in custody. Two were juvenile females and Parks was the adult, police said.

Walmart loss prevention reported that its security officers saw the two juveniles remove hangers from clothing and stuff the clothing in their bags, police said. The three females were caught as they left the store, according to police. Police said Parks didn’t provide any information to Walmart loss prevention, and when the officer got there to investigate, “she advised the officer that she didn’t have to give them her name, and that she was using her Fifth Amendment right and didn’t have to talk.”

Police said when the officer told her that he would take her to the station for investigation, she started pulling away from him and there was a struggle as she was placed in the car.

“She was still uncooperative once they got her into the station,” police said.

According to reports, Parks wasn’t charged with retail theft, but was charged with obstruction because she didn’t give any identification and struggled with officer. The juveniles’ case was handled by a juvenile detective, police said.