Man Acting Strangely Arrested Near School: Police

Parents became alarmed and called police when a strangely behaving man walked through an elementary school campus as children were being dismissed from school, reports said.

Oak Lawn police received several calls of man who was acting “very strangely” near Sward Elementary School around 3:11 p.m. last Friday, Aug. 22, police said.

While en route to the area at 98th Street and 50th Court, dispatch advised the officer that the man was now laying down in a yard, according to the report.

When the officer arrived in the neighborhood, she saw a man who matched callers’ descriptions at 98th Street and 50th Court. Police said the officer told the man to stop and talk to her, but the man started running southbound on 50th Court.

The officer went down 99th Street and saw the man running eastbound on  toward Sward School as several children were being dismissed after school. Police said the officer detained the man without incident at 99th Street and Brandt Avenue.

The man was sweating and visibly shaking, police said. He was later identified as George H. Myers IV, 38, of the 7900 block of South Francisco Avenue in Chicago.

The officer said that Myers identified himself and appeared to be intoxicated. Myers declined medical treatment and refused to speak to the officer about the incident, reports said.

A father told police he arrived at school to pick up his children. While his children were walking out of the school, he saw Myers laying on the ground at 98th Street and 50th Court, police said.

Police said that Myers got up and started screaming loudly. Myers then walked across school grounds and continue to yell words that the father couldn’t make out, reports said.

According to the report, Myers then appeared to start attempting to punch himself in the face but did not make contact. He also tried putting his shirt in his mouth and biting it. Due to Myers alleged “bizarre behavior,” the father collected his children and immediately called police.

The father said that when Myers saw the police patrol call, he started running southbound across school property, reports said.

After he secured his children, the father followed Myers on foot when he saw that police had already detained him.

Another parent told a similar story of seeing Myers yelling and screaming on the school campus, police said.

When the second parent saw Myers allegedly walking closer to the school doors when children were being dismissed, he also called police. The parent secured his children as he watched Myers appear to run away from the police officer, reports said.

Both parents said they feared for their children’s safety and wished to sign complaints.

Myers was taken into custody and brought to the Oak Lawn police station, where he was charged on two counts of misdemeanor disorderly conduct.

Myers is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 27 in Bridgeview.