DuPage County Undersheriff Eddie Moore has been placed on administrative leave after an investigation into whether he struck a man with his car in the parking lot of an Oak Brook restaurant on Valentine’s Day (Feb. 14). Moore confirmed the incident in a written statement and said he stopped his vehicle, checked on the man and exchanged information at the scene. The timing has injected fresh drama into the sheriff’s race with the March 17 primary less than two weeks away.
Details From Moore’s Statement
In his statement, Moore said that while he was pulling his car around to pick up his wife, “an individual stepped in front of the vehicle and believed he had been struck.” Moore said he stopped immediately, repeatedly asked whether the man needed help and that they exchanged information before leaving. The man later contacted Oak Brook police to help locate Moore, according to the Daily Herald.
Political Fallout
With the March 17 primary looming, the parking lot encounter quickly turned into political fuel. DuPage County Board member Cindy Cronin Cahill pulled her endorsement, and DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin reportedly rescinded his support as well, signaling growing unease among some Republican leaders.
Moore’s opponent, Sean Noonan, blasted the episode, calling the conduct “reckless and unacceptable” and arguing that Moore should have reported the incident on the day it happened, according to Shaw Local.
Campaign Response and Open Questions
Moore’s campaign has confirmed that he is on administrative leave from the sheriff’s office. The campaign said that if the other individual involved “chooses to pursue anything further, the matter would be handled through the insurance company,” and added that it had not been contacted as of Thursday, the Daily Herald reports.
The same outlet reported that it has filed a Freedom of Information Act request for the Oak Brook police report and any available photos or video from the scene, documents that could help clarify exactly what happened in that parking lot…