DuPage Sheriff Hopefuls Clash Over Crash

ELMHURST, IL – In the final days before Tuesday's election, the candidates for DuPage County sheriff are debating a crash involving one of them.

This week, Oak Brook police cleared Undersheriff Eddie Moore in a crash in which a pedestrian was injured near a restaurant.

Moore is running against Sean Noonan in the Republican primary. The winner faces Democrat Peter Coolidge in the fall. They are vying to succeed Republican Sheriff James Mendrick, who is running for governor.

When Oak Brook police contacted Moore after the Valentine's Day crash, he declined to speak with them. He gave a statement through his attorney.

Noonan, an officer with more than 20 years in law enforcement, took Moore to task for not talking with the police.

"If an ordinary driver struck a pedestrian in a dark parking lot, left the scene, and later told police, 'Talk to my attorney,' would the public be satisfied with that answer? Or would they expect more?" Noonan said in a Facebook post Thursday.

Over the weekend, Moore posted a video of himself and his wife, Brandi Moore, in which he responded to criticism. His wife did not speak.

"I'm not here to deny mistakes were made," he said. "What matters is how you take responsibility, learn from it and continue serving your community," Moore said. "One moment from the past should not erase decades of service."

"When this incident occurred, Brandi and I offered to call the police and an ambulance and the other party declined multiple times," said Moore, who joined the sheriff's office in the mid-1990s after serving in the U.S. Army.

Moore said he decided to speak because of stories circulating with false and misleading information.

He said the political attacks against him have been extended to his wife, which he called unacceptable.

"She should never be the target of political games," Moore said.

According to the police report, an employee from the restaurant said he was walking in the parking lot when Moore's Lincoln Navigator struck him from behind and ran over his right leg. Witnesses backed up his story.

The man reported that the driver, identified as Moore, smelled of alcohol, police said. He accused Moore of drinking and driving, witnesses told police.

Moore's statement to the police and his video did not address the issue of alcohol. He has not returned Patch's messages for comment.

At least for part of the crash investigation, Sheriff Mendrick, who has endorsed Moore, put the undersheriff on administrative leave. After Moore was cleared, he returned to work.

In 2021, Moore was involved in a bar incident in Wisconsin that resulted in a disorderly conduct charge.

Noonan said the crash was an issue of judgment.

"If a career police officer won't talk directly to police about hitting a pedestrian, what does that say about his judgment — and accountability?" Noonan said. "The Sheriff of DuPage County is responsible for enforcing the law, setting the tone for deputies, and demanding transparency from the public."