The blaze was allegedly set by a 10-year-old who may have lived in the duplex, and was apprehended by bystanders and handed over to police. No deaths or injuries reported. Witnesses at the scene said a family lived at the duplex but were not certain whether both units were occupied.
I witnessed the fire yesterday on my way to the south suburbs to pick up my 10-year-old son, and dashed over with a video camera. The footage is in the hands of Jake and Gabe from 612 authentic, and some of it was used last night on KSTP, but no story currently appears on their website. I hope to get images and video up eventually. (Though I will not be showing the face of the suspect, a minor)
Because it was a severe fire witnessed by many people, and folks might be seeking information, I will post what I know. The house is about a block off West Broadway. I do not have the exact address. I didn't know there would be so little media coverage or I would have made a point of obtaining the address.
Large black clouds of smoke were visible, drawing many onlookers. One witness at the scene said he noticed the smoke all the way from the Broadway Bridge over the Mississippi. The most intense part of the fire was in an over-sized truck in the back yard, which was completely destroyed, but fire had spread from the truck and gotten into the duplex.
The duplex was white, seemed about 100 years old, and was severely in need of a paint job due to areas of exposed wood. It would be fair to say the house looked like a firetrap. Some witnesses at the scene were excitedly saying the first name of a suspect, J., and saying "J---- did it. J---- set the fire!"
Two black males in their 20s, one wearing a sleeveless "wife beater" shirt and with his hair in cornrows, appeared on the sidewalk in front of the fire, forcibly escorting a young black male of approximately age 10, though quite tall and overweight for his age, wearing a plain white T-shirt. The male wearing his hair in cornrows grasped the boy by the right arm, forcing him forward. Bystanders were shouting, "He did it. This is him. Here he is."
The young male was turned over to a Minneapolis police officer on the scene, who appeared to take him into custody.
As fire ripped through the duplex and bystanders watched the Minneapolis fire department calmly, methodically fighting the blaze, various eyewitnesses pieced together the following account.
The suspect, J---- lives at or near the duplex. He is 10 years old and attends a church right near by, practically behind the duplex, which one bystander said was called "Faith Church."
J's mother did not return from work today at the time she said she would, making J angry, and causing him to set a fire in the old truck parked behind the duplex. At one point, J was throwing rocks at the fire. The fire got big and the size of the blaze scared J, so he ran away. J apparently lived at the duplex with his mother.
A woman at the scene was crying loudly, and saying somebody ran into her house to alert her of the fire. It was unknown whether the woman lived in the duplex or next door, but since she was scene being questioned by a police officer, I assumed she lived in the house.
The house appeared to be a total loss. Two hours later, firemen were still at the scene of the blaze and the house appeared to be a gutted shell, but still standing.
Because it was a severe fire witnessed by many people, and folks might be seeking information, I will post what I know. The house is about a block off West Broadway. I do not have the exact address. I didn't know there would be so little media coverage or I would have made a point of obtaining the address.
Large black clouds of smoke were visible, drawing many onlookers. One witness at the scene said he noticed the smoke all the way from the Broadway Bridge over the Mississippi. The most intense part of the fire was in an over-sized truck in the back yard, which was completely destroyed, but fire had spread from the truck and gotten into the duplex.
The duplex was white, seemed about 100 years old, and was severely in need of a paint job due to areas of exposed wood. It would be fair to say the house looked like a firetrap. Some witnesses at the scene were excitedly saying the first name of a suspect, J., and saying "J---- did it. J---- set the fire!"
Two black males in their 20s, one wearing a sleeveless "wife beater" shirt and with his hair in cornrows, appeared on the sidewalk in front of the fire, forcibly escorting a young black male of approximately age 10, though quite tall and overweight for his age, wearing a plain white T-shirt. The male wearing his hair in cornrows grasped the boy by the right arm, forcing him forward. Bystanders were shouting, "He did it. This is him. Here he is."
The young male was turned over to a Minneapolis police officer on the scene, who appeared to take him into custody.
As fire ripped through the duplex and bystanders watched the Minneapolis fire department calmly, methodically fighting the blaze, various eyewitnesses pieced together the following account.
The suspect, J---- lives at or near the duplex. He is 10 years old and attends a church right near by, practically behind the duplex, which one bystander said was called "Faith Church."
J's mother did not return from work today at the time she said she would, making J angry, and causing him to set a fire in the old truck parked behind the duplex. At one point, J was throwing rocks at the fire. The fire got big and the size of the blaze scared J, so he ran away. J apparently lived at the duplex with his mother.
A woman at the scene was crying loudly, and saying somebody ran into her house to alert her of the fire. It was unknown whether the woman lived in the duplex or next door, but since she was scene being questioned by a police officer, I assumed she lived in the house.
The house appeared to be a total loss. Two hours later, firemen were still at the scene of the blaze and the house appeared to be a gutted shell, but still standing.
(Do not click "Read More")
1 comment:
It was on the 2100 block of Emerson, immediately next door to Juxtaposition Arts. Police were blocking off Broadway - for a long while after - from just before Emerson through to Fremont. I was worried about the JA building from what I could see as we drove by (disclaimer that I was not the one driving, and could safely rubberneck a bit.)
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