Friday, August 10, 2007

* Serious Gang Beat-down in Alley


A beat-down occurred this morning around 4:49 AM, (my 911 call time) waking me and a bunch of other neighbors up. I grabbed my camera and recorded the fast action the best I could under such dark conditions.

BLOGNOTES: My sources tell me the fight started after a night of heavy duty partying on Morse Avenue, by the CTA Morse Avenue EL stop.

The beat-down was caused by too much drinking, too much drugs, and way too many anger issues. Empty liquor bottles litter the sidewalk of the EL stop.

The wild brawl moved in front of the Rider building at 1340 West Morse, because I'm told, the CTA security guard was tired of watching them fight under the lights. At the Rider building you can find the remains of the beat-down in the form of broken beer bottles on the sidewalk.

Then the beating continued north down the alley, where I started recording. While the beating is going on directly under my window, you can hear one guy telling the crying and screaming girl with a very large cleavage to "Go home - Go home. You crazy! You crazy! You crazy! Someone's going to call the cops!" Well, it was too late for that. I already called the cops a couple of minutes ago.

There, the wild melee turned west, where the four street fighters continued whooping and kicking the hapless, but very stoned-out victim. Four guys were stomping and kicking one guy, while one of two girls kept screaming and crying.

By the time the police arrived, tensions were still high. So were the participants. A fire truck arrived. A ambulance arrived. The yelling, crying and screaming continued.

In the end, the police led the victim of the beating into what I'm guessing was his residents. Any guesses where the situation ended? Score yourself 10 points if you said the Rider building on Lunt. 1345 West.

If there's any consolation, no weapons were fired.

22 comments:

Test said...

And now everyone knows exactly where you live.

INKJAR said...

Craig-
Excellant report- just curious -wonder what if this had taken place on Fargo in front of Joe Moore's dig-

Uncle Wally said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Craig Gernhardt said...

And your point is Ms? Let me fill you in on a few things Ms.

I've seen your type here on the blog before. Someone comes on - claiming to be new to the hood. They claim everything is peachy and the neighborhood is Utopia.

Then, a few posts later, when someone recounts a horrid tell, the new people like Ms jump on the bandwagon to denounce the Hell Hole as spreading a negative view of the hood.

The other interesting similarity to Ms and those that have come before her are:

With-in a week of moving to the neighborhood, these new residents know everything about the blog, the neighborhood and me.

Most start writing to me as if they've known me all my life.

How can that be? How'd they find and read ALL 1769 stories on this non-advertised blog so quickly? Mostly this happens all one week no less.

Ms, Been There, and those like her Those who continue to believe everything is peachy keen. Try watching the video again. Try reading the 1769 stories again. I think you may be missing a lot.

This time, try reading with your glasses on. As for where I live. What's your point?

Don't bother answering Ms. You're now permanently banned. I can't take your mindless dribble anymore.

Go start your own "Rogers Park Smells Like A Rose" blog.

Craig Gernhardt said...

Unkle Wally, read above post. Comment rejected asswipe.

Jordan.Vielehr said...

Was anyone arrested?

Craig Gernhardt said...

As for what I think should've happened.

Those that were rounded up should've been locked up. No reason for the police to be sitting around and listening to the bickering and fighting about 'who did what to who' bullshit.

They should been charged them Mob-action or something like that. Other charges include, drinking on the street. Intoxication in public. And then they should've been written a ticket for littering and noise pollution.

They should reimburse the city for the police officers time - the fire departments time - and the ambulances time and expenses in dealing with the early morning fight.

If they can ticket dog owners for having their pets off-leash, they ought-to-have done something about this.

Craig Gernhardt said...

The open air drug market salesmen are back in front of the Rider building on Morse. They started working at 9;AM. At least five of them are working.

I just spent twenty minute taking a bunch-o-photos.

I'll post them shortly. They always seem to get just out of range for the actual money shot. Maybe the Rider camera has captured that action?

Ryne said...

Here we go the ward crime threw joey eyes!! CRIME IS GOING DOWN!!

So joey says!!

Dear Neighbor,

I would like to congratulate the 24th District Police Department, and all the community residents who participate in CAPS, for their continued good work As reported in this week's News Star, the 24th Police District, which includes the 49th Ward, continues to experience a sharp decrease in serious crime.

http://www.pioneerlocal.com/newsstar/news/500805,SN-CrimeStats172024-080807-s1.article

According to the Chicago Police Department's mid-year statistics, index crime in the Rogers Park district fell 15.6% in the first half of 2007 as compared to the same period last year.

Crime fell in nearly every category, including over a 50% reduction in arsons, and double-digit percentage decreases in robberies, aggravated assaults, thefts, and motor vehicle thefts. Burglaries saw a small increase of 1.3% and, tragically, the 24th District experienced five murders so far this year as compared to four murders in the first half of 2006.

This percentage decrease in crime in our neighborhood was over twice the citywide average of 7.3%, and exceeded all but one of the five north side police districts.

This represents a continuation of a crime reduction pattern that first began in our neighborhood in the early 1990's when we became a pilot project for CAPS, Chicago's community policing initiative. In addition to community involvement in CAPS, the blue light safety cameras and police crackdowns on five open-air drug markets over the last two years contributed to the reduction in serious crime.

While these statistics are promising, we still have much work to do. I have encouraged our Police Department to continue to focus on neighborhood "hot spots," especially Morse Avenue and Howard Street, and we must continue to crack down on bad landlords who do not properly screen their tenants and manage their buildings. And if you haven't already done so, I urge you to actively participate in CAPS. An involved and engaged community is our ultimate solution to the crime problem.

Again my heartiest congratulations to our brave police officers and community residents!

Sincerely,

Joe Moore

ChitownRog said...

Craig,

You should post a live webcam. For that matter, anyone who regularly reads this blog and has the means (read: high speed internet connection and good line of sight) should get one and link them all together on one site. Our own private security network. We could link put a link to the Alderman's site on there too. You know, so people can thank the Alderman for his superior leadership in providing a safe haven for this type of free enterprise.

You might think I'm kidding, but I don't think it would be too hard to link up a bunch of webcams.

Ryne said...

Reading this comment by joey makes sense to me, all you have have to do is watch Cgaigs trying to get joey address the crime on Morse.

joey is playing the people of the ward as fools!

Stop pulling the wool over our eyes!

I have encouraged our Police Department to continue to focus on neighborhood "hot spots," especially Morse Avenue and Howard Street, and we must continue to crack down on bad landlords who do not properly screen their tenants and manage their buildings. And if you haven't already done so, I urge you to actively participate in CAPS. An involved and engaged community is our ultimate solution to the crime problem.

Yes go to the CAPS meeting from what is told on the blog joey rarly shows up!

Fargo said...

"So joey says!!

Dear Neighbor,

I would like to congratulate the 24th District Police Department, and all the community residents ...the 49th Ward, continues to experience a sharp decrease in serious crime."
----------------

And if you believe that whitewash, I've got a bridge to sell you....

Veronica said...

jooey moooooooooore really likes to toot his own horn, doesn't he

Hillari said...

I'm not surprised at the beat down action. As much as I dread the winter season, it does serve a purpose -- incidents like that don't happen very often when it's cold outside.

Fargo Woman said...

"There are lies, damn lies and statistics." -Mark Twain-

No mention whatsoever of the goonings that have happened this summer. As a matter of fact, aggravated assaults are lumped in with robberies, thefts and motor vehicle thefts.

What is an "aggravated assault" anyway? Do goonings qualify or is that considered "mob action" or perhaps an actual "hate crime"?

Most interesting of all, drugs aren't even mentioned. What's that all about?

Veronica said...

moore reminds me completely of the nowhere man from the beatles song:

He's a real nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.

Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?
Nowhere Man, please listen,
You don't know what you're missing,
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command.

He's as blind as he can be,
Just sees what he wants to see,
Nowhere Man can you see me at all?
Nowhere Man, don't worry,
Take your time, don't hurry,
Leave it all till somebody else
lends you a hand.

Doesn't have a point of view,
Knows not where he's going to,
Isn't he a bit like you and me?

Nowhere Man, please listen,
You don't know what you're missing,
Nowhere Man, the world is at your command.

He's a real Nowhere Man,
Sitting in his Nowhere Land,
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.
Making all his nowhere plans
for nobody.

He really is a nowhere man. and this song was recorded in 1965. guess not much has changed in terms of politicians (which is what im guessing this song is about).

Fargo Woman said...

I went to the link and read the full article.

I was particularly interested to see Commander Bruce Rottner quoted as saying, "We've become so aggressive on violent crime that criminals think it makes it easier to burglarize. A lot of burglaries are by drug users who steal to fence things. When the economy is tough, you'll also see normal people do crazy things," Rottner said. "At CAPS meetings we have burglary prevention programs and a mobile foot mission team who patrol the district on foot. When we develop a pattern of burglaries, we put those officers there."

I would like to respectfully suggest to the Commander that a “mobile foot mission team” be set up specifically to shut down the open air markets on Morse Avenue. Perhaps they could patrol Morse Avenue on a 24/7 basis and then get reassigned to the next “hot spot.” Because, of course, they will migrate. But this mission team would follow them until the drug dealers and their entourages figure out that Rogers Park is simply not a good place to do their open air market business any longer.

I realize I’m not being realistic to ask for a 24/7 patrol but we obviously need a presence. If they can form mission teams for burglars then why not for drug dealers?

In closing, I couldn’t help but notice, that except in a passing reference in conjunction with burglaries, there are no stats provided on drug arrests. Again, I’m asking, what’s up with that?

Craig Gernhardt said...

Crime is down. But murders are up.

proGun said...

Shoot more footage of the cleavage.

INKJAR said...

OVERALL CRIME IS DOWN- COULD BE - IF YOU BROKE SAME DOWN BET DRUG DEALING WOULD BE UP-
STAND ON MORSE AVE FOR 30 MINUTES 1300 AND 1400 BLOCK OR HAVE COFFEE OUTSIDE OF THE COMMON CUP AND WATCH THE SHOW-

Big Daddy said...

Fargo woman, what do you mean aggravated assaults are lumped in with auto thefts, robberies and thefts? I don't understand what your trying to say. Please elaborate.

rogers park guy said...

CRIME RATE IS DOWN YALL SHOULD HAD BEEN IN DA HOOD YRZ BACK IT USE TO BE COMMON FOR SOMEONE TO GET SHOT EVERYDAY...BUT AT THE SAMETIME DONT BELIEVE ON THOSE STUPID CRIME STATS NOT ALL CRIMES ARE REPORTED.

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