DeKalb Ward 5 Ald. Scott McAdams won't be charged after police investigate towing incident

DeKALB - No charges will be filed against Ward 5 Alderman Scott McAdams after an investigation by the DeKalb Police Department into a towing incident from February.

McAdams is ready to talk about the incident involving himself and DeKalb-based Tri-State Towing company after his SUV was towed in front of the Colonial Townhouses, 1010 W. Lincoln Highway. on Feb. 19.

According to police reports obtained by the Daily Chronicle through the Freedom of Information Act, the DeKalb County State's Attorney's Office declined to file charges against McAdams, after a Tri-State employee told police McAdams threatened to put them out of business, reports show.

The police report states Tri-State released McAdams' SUV to him for free after McAdams showed an employee his alderman ID. Surveillance video of the interaction was referred to in the police report but stated no audio was available.

McAdams said while he regrets showing his ID badge, he did not threaten the company, and said Tri-State was not honest with police about where they picked his car up.

"I dropped down my ID, which in retrospect was a bad idea, and I'm like 'I'm not one of the kids," McAdams said. "Obviously in retrospect I should have paid first, but I didn't feel it was a legitimate tow."

McAdams said he offered to pay the $200 tow fee but the employee did not accept it.

McAdams said his car was parked outside the town homes because that's where his girlfriend lives, and reports show it wasn't the first time McAdams had been towed by Tri-State.

According to a police report, his car had actually been towed a few weeks prior by Tri-State outside of the town homes, but during that time he realized what was happening while Tri-State was still towing his car, and ran outside to pay the drop fee.

"I bolted out the door, there was a super nice guy, he said 'Since you guys caught me, I'll let you pay $75 for a drop fee instead of a whole tow," McAdams said.

McAdams said he realized his parking sticker on his car was expired, and he offered the tow employee $80 in cash. The employee handed him $20 back.

Reports show McAdams afterward reached out to city officials to inquire about tow policies, because he felt the cash transaction odd.

Drop fees are legal in the city of DeKalb, however, according to Chapter 35 of the DeKalb Municipal Code, which also states interference of lawful towing activity is illegal.

Afterward the drop fee exchange, the employee told McAdams he should instead park in an approved spot nearby, near the BP gas station and townhomes on West Lincoln Highway, which is where his car was towed the second time.

"The towing company, when they were asked where it was towed from, they weren't honest," McAdams said.

Police reports show surveillance video obtained from the BP gas station nearby confirmed McAdams car was towed from where he said it was. McAdams said there was no sign in the vicinity to suggest it was an illegal parking zone.

McAdams said he has no complaints, and is thankful for city police and the state's attorney's office.

"Even if it had turned out differently, I don't have complaints about the professionalism of law enforcement in this."

This article has been corrected to convey that McAdams is DeKalb's fifth ward alderman. The Daily Chronicle regrets the error.