DuPage County undersheriff put on leave

DuPage County Undersheriff Eddie Moore has been placed on administrative leave amid an investigation into whether he struck someone with his car last month in the parking lot of an Oak Brook restaurant.

Moore, who is seeking to become the Republican nominee for DuPage sheriff in the March 17 primary, confirmed in a statement Thursday that he was involved in an incident on Valentine’s Day after he and his wife ate dinner at a restaurant in Oak Brook.

“While pulling my car around to pick up my wife, an individual stepped in front of the vehicle and believed he had been struck,” Moore’s statement reads. “I immediately stopped, got out, and repeatedly asked if he needed assistance. He declined. My wife, who is a nurse, came over and also checked on him, and he again refused help.”

Moore said he exchanged information with the man and they “handled the situation responsibly at the scene.”

But according to Moore, the man wrote down the wrong phone number. The man later asked Oak Brook police to help him locate Moore.

“If the individual chooses to pursue anything further, the matter would be handled through the insurance company,” Moore said. “As of today, however, we have not been contacted.”

Meanwhile, Moore has been placed on administrative leave at the sheriff’s office, his campaign confirmed.

Political fallout

With the primary less than two weeks away, the incident has become an issue in Moore’s race against fellow Republican Sean Noonan.

DuPage County Board member Cindy Cronin Cahill says she withdrew her endorsement of Moore after learning about the incident.

“While I don’t know all of the details, what has been reported is deeply concerning to me,” Cahill wrote in a message to the Daily Herald. “The office of sheriff requires sound judgment and conduct that inspires public confidence, and under these circumstances I can no longer support his candidacy.”

It’s also been reported that DuPage County State’s Attorney Robert Berlin has rescinded his endorsement of Moore. Berlin could not be reached for comment Thursday afternoon.

Moore, meanwhile, accused Noonan of choosing to “shop this story around for his own political gain.”

“A race for sheriff should be about qualifications, experience, and leadership,” Moore’s statement reads. “Unfortunately, it appears Noonan would rather focus on political attacks than on the issues of importance to DuPage County.”

Noonan critical

“His conduct is reckless and unacceptable,” Noonan said Thursday of Moore.

He said that as an experienced officer, Moore should have known to report the incident to police that day.

Noonan said he has not seen the police report on the incident, nor has he requested a copy from the Oak Brook Police Department.

The Daily Herald filed a Freedom of Information Act request earlier this week for the report, as well as any photos or videos. The materials have not been sent yet.

Noonan also referred to a January 2021 event in Wisconsin, in which Moore received a ticket for disorderly conduct at a New Year’s Eve celebration at a resort.

In that case, Moore got into a dispute with two men; he said they made racist comments toward him. A security guard intervened, and suffered a broken finger.

A Walworth County sheriff’s report indicated the guard believed the finger was broken accidentally.

Moore paid a $365 fine.