Harvey Park Board member Lakeisha Brown-Oneal was arrested last week following an allegation of domestic violence, though she said she suspected a political motivation behind her arrest.

Brown-Oneal was arrested Dec. 29. A Harvey spokesperson said the Harvey Police Department had pressed charges of domestic battery.

The spokesperson said the city could not comment on if or how the charges would be pursued, saying that formally filing charges is up to the Cook County state’s attorney’s office, which handles prosecutions.

The state’s attorney’s office said Monday it had no information on the case and referred further inquiries back to the Harvey Police Department.

Brown-Oneal said she was not the aggressor in the altercation, and said she was the person who called 911.

“I am confident that the facts, including the 911 call I made, the evidence of the assault we sustained and the truth about who initiated this violence will be revealed through the legal process,” Brown-Oneal said.

Brown-Oneal said she suspected her arrest was an act of political retaliation. She is one of two board members suing others at the Harvey Park District for allegedly preventing her from carrying out her duties.

“The timing and selective nature of these charges combined with the immediate media notification raise serious questions about whether this is law enforcement or political retaliation,” Brown-Oneal said.

This is not the first instance of an elected official in Harvey alleging political motivation for an arrest. Last April, 2nd Ward Ald. Colby Chapman, a vocal critic of Mayor Christopher Clark, was arrested and charged with battery against a police officer after Clark ordered her removed from a City Council meeting. Those charges were later dropped by the state’s attorney’s office.

“The Harvey Park District is a separate and independent entity, outside the authority of the City of Harvey and the Mayor,” the Harvey spokesperson said. “The individual involved is not a City employee, official, or representative.”

The computer court file shows an order of protection was issued against Brown-Oneal and the case continued until Jan. 20. But a full charging document is not shown on the court computer.

The Cook County clerk’s office at the Markham courthouse refused to allow the Daily Southtown to view the physical case file on the basis that it included an order for protection.

elewis@chicagotribune.com

 

https://www.chicagotribune.com/2026/01/06/harvey-park-board-member-political-arrest/