Stop and Go — to Jail
Twice in two years, routine traffic stops enacted by Shorewood police Officer John Coldwater led to arrests in major cases.
Shorewood police Officer John Coldwater was just pulling back onto Jefferson Street from the Jewel parking lot after helping a locked out motorist when he saw a carload of young men pass by, and not one of them was wearing a seat belt.
Coldwater got behind the vehicle and followed it to the Interstate 55 frontage road, where he tried to pull it over. The driver seemed at first to cooperate, as he slowed down and pulled into a parking lot. But instead of stopping, the car pulled back out, blew two stop signs and got on 55.
Coldwater kept up with the car but when it reached Interstate 80 and nearly ran a cement truck off the road, he broke off the pursuit.
But Coldwater got the car's tag number and a good look at all its occupants. And the next night, he and other Shorewood officers went with the Joliet police to raid a house on that town's east side.
"At the search warrant, I immediately identified two people from the car," Coldwater said. And those two men were taken into custody and booked into the Will County jail.
The driver of the car Coldwater tried to stop, 21-year-old David Magana, was charged with fleeing police and a passenger — Eduardo Almazan, 19 — was picked up on a warrant for possession of drug equipment, officials said.
Two guns tossed out of the car during the chase were recovered, police said, and one of them was linked to the burglary of a New Lenox gun shop.
Coldwater put the law on the trail of the fugitives when he started tailing them on Jefferson Street, and that wasn't the first time he cracked a big case through traffic enforcement.
Just a year before, he pulled over a car for a seat belt violation and ended up arresting three young men who had just committed a burglary.
"That was my first stop of the night," Coldwater recalled, telling how on that occasion he was working a traffic detail as part of the state's Beyond the Belt seat belt program.
And in addition to making the arrests, Coldwater made an impression on at least one of the young men.
"He said that straightened his life out," Coldwater remembered.
Shorewood police Sgt. Jason Barten credited Coldwater for his work in the two cases.
"Some of it's being in the right place at the right time," Barten said, "some of it's going above and beyond the regular traffic stop."
Gary Fitzgerald
6:48 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Great work, Officer Coldwater! We appreciate your service and that of all the officers to the Village and our residents.
Flora Dora
8:31 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Officer Coldwater is truly an excellent law enforcement officer. Kudos!
Infamous Steve
9:35 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
He got lucky that is all. Any random traffic stop can end with a good arrest, just depends who you stop. Twice in two years....too bad it wasn't three years. Then his theme song could be Meatloaf's 2 out of 3 {ain't bad}
Freddie Kissell
11:14 am on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Oh come on, Steve.
srebmuc
2:36 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
kudos steve
Lee
7:22 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
How did I know that I would find some ignorant rhetoric from Steve in here. You have nothing better to do than talk crap. You complain and complain about S.P.D. stopping cars for seatbelts and how they aint got anything better to do. Now you talk out the other side of your rear and say that he got lucky and that any traffic stop can end with a good arrest. No wonder you were up at 3 a.m. on your computer watching out your windows....your nuts. By the way, did you start hiding your car so they can't run your plate at night? As far as Officer Coldwater goes, he's an upstanding and hard working police officer just like everyone else in this forum has complimented...except of course for you. He deserves every thank you, kudo, and compliment he receives...he has earned that. Come on Steve, reach down REAL deep and give John a big 'ole "good job" for his outstanding police work. I know you can.
Big Shooter
12:09 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Great Job!!! Thanks to all of you at the SPD!
Bobby Brandolino
1:02 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Great Article. Shorewood PD does a great job!
Steve do you live in Shorewood? What is your problem with Shorewood PD?
Infamous Steve
9:49 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
You must be new or you would know the answers to your questions.
Bobby Brandolino
12:27 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I don't know any of the Shorewood Police officers personally. I know they do a great job with what they have to deal with. I do know a lot of Joliet officers. All officers deal with whatever comes their way. That's their job. It's very simple. Don't break the law and you won't have issues. Only time I've ever had issues was when I did something wrong. A lot of people do things wrong & get pissed at the cops like it's the cops fault.
srebmuc
2:36 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
why is this even a story? isn't this the guy's job? Hosey- why don't you do an article every time an ironworker (statistically much more dangerous job than being a cop) successfully hangs a 20 ton steel beam or a crab fisherman hauls in another crab pot(again-way more dangerous)? both of the jobs I mentioned are just as integral to a society as a cop(maybe more so because their production creates real wealth and value). I get tired of the media drooling all over cops and firefighters. just do your job and shut up.
Pam
2:45 pm on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Agree this is a good article. Thank you Shorewood PD for all you do :)
Allison
3:06 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Great job Officer Coldwater! Shorewood residents are lucky to have you as a police officer!! Great article!! Keep up the great work!!
Infamous Steve
9:54 am on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Lee,,,I cant give kudos for 2 arrests in 2 years. Joliet cops for example stop people with guns and chase them and get shot at everyday. Has a Shorewood cop EVER been fired at? Granted there is not much to do or people to shoot at them but come on 2 in 2 years. That is special? Other departments do that in a hour. It's good to see all the sheeple in thier stable though. Oh yea one more thing.....I miss Cumbers!
Lee
9:54 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Steve, do you honestly think Coldwater made 2 arrests in 2 years? And that's all he has done? I know you can't really think that. Read the headline. These 2 arrests have led to major cases. Has a Shorewood officer ever been shot at? Well, I can't answer that but bad things happen everywhere. Do you think those 4 guys that took off from the traffic stop COULD have fired at Coldwater on his traffic stop? Of course they could have and if he had handled himself a little different (laxed during his stop) things could have turned deadly quickly, like I said to you weeks ago. Joliet cops don't get shot at every day. Even Chicago cops don't get shot at every day. Are there MORE shootings in other places? Yes. And that's why I choose to live in Shorewood. I think your watching a little too much t.v. at 3 a.m. Previously you seemed to feel that if you didn't read about it happening, then it must not be happening. Now you seem to be dreaming up these wild west shoot outs in Joliet that occur everyday which I, nor yourself, read about. That's because it isn't happening. Your as nutty as Cumbers. Oh yea one more thing...........Good Job Coldwater!!
Allison
10:04 pm on Thursday, February 23, 2012
Steve bite your tongue! You are ignorant !! Officer Coldwater always goes above & beyond!! You should be happy what he has done for Shorewood!!!!
Infamous Steve
9:41 am on Friday, February 24, 2012
Wasn't it just in the news over last weekend about the 4th chicago cop to be gunned down in little over a month? Or do you not watch things that don't happen in shorewood? And for the record I know he has made more then 2 arrests in 2 years. Now calm down sheeple.
Bobby Brandolino
11:09 am on Friday, February 24, 2012
I get it. Your not a good Cop if you don't get shot or shot at. I see. Brilliance!
Infamous Steve
2:04 pm on Friday, February 24, 2012
I get it you are a moron. That is not what I am saying in anyway. Just saying where is your praise/sorrow for all these other cops that do get shot and killed. Not to mention deal with real criminals. Not these petty seatbelt stops that lead to a warrent arrest.
Bobby Brandolino
5:50 pm on Friday, February 24, 2012
Infant Steve...My praise and sorrow for other cops that have been shot or killed, in the line of duty, is reflected by fundraisers for them all over the entire state, that I have either organized, donated my time, or moneys to show my "praise and sorrow" for them and their families. Basically your just a whiney internet troll that has absolutely no contribution to society worth any merit! "Seatbelt Stops that lead to a warrant" Here is one for you, hypothetically of course, let's say some guy raped and murdered your family, the authorities weren't able to find this guy any where. It just so happenes this guy is driving through Shorewood without a seatbelt. You know where I'm going with this.
Lee
9:45 pm on Friday, February 24, 2012
Yea, we can all see w exactly where your going Bobby but Steve seems to have a problem with Shorewood police in general. I don't think it would matter what kind of arrests these fine officers made here...he's always got some ignorant comments to make. I can appreciate what your saying but your waisting your breath/words with this guy...and I think that's what he likes. He seems to be proud of these people with no morals or respect for society in general. Bitch,bitch,bitch.....he's gotta be hell to live with...or around.