Stumbling Dennis Raga Only Had 6 Beers: Police Reports

BOLINGBROOK, IL - More details about last month's arrest by the Bolingbrook Police Department of 45-year-old politician Dennis Raga are coming to light as a result of a Freedom of Information Act request submitted by Patch. Last week, Bolingbrook village officials complied with a public records request filed recently by Patch concerning the April 19 traffic stop that resulted in a drunken driving arrest for Raga, a Bolingbrook resident on Derbyshire Court who is a Republican elected official on DuPage's Township Board. Raga once served as a Summit firefighter from 1990 until 1997 and as a Summit police officer from 1994 through 1997. He was appointed to the DuPage Township Board in December 2016.

Here's what Bolingbrook Police Department's reports of Raga's DUI arrest show:

Shortly after midnight, Bolingbrook Police were notified Raga "had been drinking all day" and "left in a black Hummer onto Derbyshire Lane," police reports show.

A Bolingbrook officer on patrol, James Block, "observed defendant vehicle swerve as it came around the curve on Derbyshire Lane towards (responding officer)."

Block maneuvered his squad car off the street into a driveway "to avoid a possible collision if the vehicle continued to travel southbound while swerving," police reports note.

Then, after reaching the curve in the road, Raga stopped his Hummer in the roadway. The officer turned on his sirens and Raga's Hummer came to a stop about five feet from the police car.

"On initial contact, responding officer recognized defendant from previous calls of domestic incidents ..." police reports reflect. Raga was asked to step outside his Hummer "which he did without complaint. Defendant used the driver door to assist in stepping out of the vehicle, stumbling as he stepped down."

The officer asked Raga "what was going on and he related he was going to get cigarettes at the store and was then going to come back. Later, defendant stated he was going to (word redacted) around the corner.

"Defendant's speech meshed together when he spoke, making him difficult to understand. Defendant admitted to drinking some beers," police reports state.

Eventually, Bolingbrook Officer Richard Treece arrived at the scene and spoke with Raga.

"Defendant began drinking in the afternoon after an event. During the evening, (Raga) told (name redacted) that he was going to (word redacted). When she came downstairs, she found defendant passed out on the floor. She called 911 and asked for an ambulance. When defendant heard her on the phone, he got up and left the residence. She does not know how much the defendant drank throughout the afternoon/evening," the reports state.

A third Bolingbrook Officer, Christopher Witt, offered Raga a chance to take a portable breath test, reports show.

"Raga stated he refused to take the test. Raga stated he had five or six beers and thought he was fine," Witt's report states. "While speaking to Raga in close proximity, (Witt) noted a strong odor of an alcoholic beverage emitting from his breath when he spoke, his speech was thick tongued and his eyes were blood shot and glassy."

At 12:33 a.m., Bolingbrook police notified Raga he was being placed under arrest for drunken driving. "Defendant spontaneously stated, 'I told her this was going to happen if she called you guys,'" the police reports show. "Defendant vehicle was towed by Heartbreak and placed on a 12-hour DUI hold."

Image of Dennis Raga via DuPage Township