The Star Tribune is reporting one of the victims at the recent "after hours club" shooting was a young man named Erick Felton, age 23. The illegal, unregulated business was apparently called the "Black & Gold Room" though it had no business signage on the exterior.
Like the other victim, Demetrius Harper (who was reportedly a cousin) Erick Felton was no stranger to the criminal court system. Here is his rap sheet from online court records...
27-CR-08-8502 FELTON, ERICK ALLEN 10/30/1989 02/19/2008 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Southdale Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed Trespass
Convicted. Sentenced to 90 days but 88 days were suspended with credit for two days served. The victim was "Mall of America" and Felton was sentenced to have "no contact" with the victim. At that time his address was Bloomington. A balance of $125 was still due on the fine when Felton died.
27-CR-08-11005 4080075643 4080075643 FELTON, ERICK ALLAN 10/30/1989 03/04/2008 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Southdale Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed Disorderly conduct in a public or private place. Trespassing
Convicted of disorderly conduct and the other charge was dropped. Conditions included "Stay away from Bloomington Kennedy High School." Felton died owing $50 for a fine.
27-CR-08-22716 FELTON, ERICK ALLAN 10/30/1989 05/08/2008 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Nord, Beryl A. Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed 1st Deg.Aggravated Robbery
Sentenced to 240 days in the workhouse with credit for 52 days. He was on probation which was scheduled to end June 6 of this year. Apparently was ALSO sentenced to 21 months in prison.
27-CR-09-5223 FELTON, ERICK ALLAN 10/30/1989 01/30/2009 Hennepin Criminal/Traffic/Petty Downtown Small, Robert M. Crim/Traf Mandatory Closed Simple Robbery
Looks like he was sentenced to 21 months. Not sure if that ran concurrent with the previously listed charge but, if I read the record correctly, Felton was somehow released on a writ of habeas corpus.
At that point he had a golden opportunity to redeem his life. Instead, he died while involved in god-knows-what at an illegal after hours club, in the company of his cousin Demetrius Harper; a career criminal.
59 comments:
Looks like 2013 is starting off to a Cracker Jack start! Let's see if this MPD 2.0 can get a handle on North side violence better than the 1.0 version did.
He was unlikely to ever be canonized, but still it's a shame. People don't realize that the stupid-ass choices they start making when they're 16 create the person they're going to be. He was probably lost a long time ago. The plain fact is that nothing good happens at 3 AM. May God have mercy on both of their souls.
Fuck you. You don't even know what happen he was just tryin get out the house and go have a lil fun but he was at the wrong place at the wrong time and if Minnesota had a place for are young urban crowd to hang out at at 3 am this shit wouldn't happen EVERYBODY IS NOT A BAD PERSON. Some people just like getting out the house after a LONG day at work or from being with their kids all day I knew this man and he would of gave you his last 10 dollars if you really needed it he always made sure everybody he was around was ok no matter what the situation is at the time so please don't speak bad about somebody when you your self have bad days no body is perfect and nobody can be but he was always there for you when you needed him to be
Why is it that many posters here feel it is acceptable or necessary to be partying in a residential neighborhood (on a weekday) at 3:00am?
How is it that this residential neighborhood can have 300+ people at after hours parties on a consistent basis and the Minneapolis Cops are clueless until somebody gets shot?
It's no wonder that more thugs don't go strait. I mean every time one of them gets shot all the relatives say "he just started to turn his life around".
Unless he was shoplifting or robbing somebody...
Minnesota HAS a place for the young urban crowd to hang out at at 3 AM. It's called bed. Don't get me wrong. I've stayed out too late and been in the wrong place at the wrong time, too. I've stared down the barrel of a gun on more than one occasion. And I have a kid (young & "urban") who won't listen to me when I say that nothing good happens at 3 AM. But that doesn't mean I'm wrong. The bars close at 1 or 2 AM. People need to get their butts home, not go to an illegal speakeasy on the North Side @ 3 AM. I know he didn't deserve to get killed. That's why I said it's a shame.
my nigga genarel shystie from 400 mob r.i.p only if i would have told u to come bck home my nigg ull still be here love u cuz rest n heaven cause even my couch wasnt good enough for ah good man like u love chief chilla.
He wasn't just turning his life around, he started doing that over 3 years ago. everyone does something stupid when they were young that changes them for the best.
More on the illegal nightclub, which was apparently the latest incarnation of Zodiac Biker Club.
http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/196792551.html?src=news-stmp
He is was from harrisburg pistalvanna and as we speak our murder rate is gettin crazy. 20Th worst city we dying out here its a war all over the states._ We need to stop the American machine is eating us though death and prison hopeless this can't be right there's gotta be a better way we didn't make this our country did. WE AT WAR. with our. self Now how they do that? We in a WAR ZONE CALL AMERICA.PS NO ONE IS SAFE. 3AM OR 3PM
People shouldn't have to "just now turn their lives around." And if they really were trying to change, they wouldn't be out at illegal bars at 3 AM on a week night. They should be at home sleeping so they're not tired at work (yes, a real job) the next day.
Barb Johnson thinks the city did everything they needed to by sending MAIL to the owner of this speakeasy. MAIL! What's next? A stern finger-wagging? How about sending in a swat team when they hear about an after-hours party? Not only could they have shut the place down, they likely would have had probable cause to roust a bunch of other criminals at the party. More proof that going to a speakeasy at 3 AM is very dumb, if for no other reason that that the cops might eventually decide to show up.
1502 W Broadway was the location of one of these illegal clubs. Thanks to diligent citizens reporting everything, the club was shut down.
Not sure if it was the same club, though.
To the Anonymous commenter who took a shot at Barb Johnson: I have complete faith in Barb Johnson and as she pointed out, there is a process and people have rights. Yes, I would like to see a faster response by the city but that also depends on citizens calling in problems OVER AND OVER, every night, and not growing weary and thinking, "Oh, the city isn't doing anything."
Because the city is like a battleship. A battleship doesn't turn on a dime and it doesn't fire back as quick as a gunslinger. But when it does turn, and when it does fire, watch out.
Barb Johnson stepped up to the plate and talked to the press about this club owner and his history. You want to blame somebody? Blame this club owner. I hope he goes to jail. I hope he gets sued by surviving family members of the "victims."
I doubt that Barb Johnson is the proper person at which to point a finger, per se, but Annon at 11:20 has a point. Given how the coverage of this news story has been presented in the media, I am certainly left with the understanding that this business was known to be an after hours club by area residents, law enforcement and City administrative personnel long before these shootings occurred.
With regard to the late payment of liquor license fees, the Minneapolis Code of Ordinances states:
362.90. - Penalty for late installment. Any installment of license fee which is not paid by the due date, may be paid within fifteen (15) days thereafter upon payment of an additional fee in the amount of twenty (20) percent of the installment due. Failure to make such payment within the time provided shall ipso facto cancel all rights of the licensee under the license, and the police department shall immediately close the place of business operated under such license.
If late payment of liquor license fees results in immediate closure of the business by the police, why does a speakeasy that (a) does not and never has had a liquor license get more consideration than a legitimate business (b) is operating during hours when liquor establishments in the City must be closed and (c) is likely operating in a location not zoned for liquor sales/night club operation get more consideration?
Rather than treating this as another "problem property" of the typical North Minneapolis sort in which a family rents a house and exhibits anti-social behavior, this should have been treated for what it was; a business operating in violation of numerous City ordinances.
It certainly isn't the fault of City administration and law enforcement that two ne'er do wells are dead, but that is aside from the issue of whether the operation of this businesses was addressed properly.
If Minnesota had a place for the young urban crowd to hang out at 3 AM, this would happen A LOT more often.
Nothing good happens after midnight and putting a bunch of intoxicated youths together at night is a recipe for disaster.
So what now if we hang out after 2 am we are thugs or a bed person??? Get your old ass outta here you people always wanna judge somebody what you really need to do is look at your life and ask your self what makes you better then the next person what really makes you better than the shooting victims no body is perfect if they were then they will be sitting next to god looking down at us most of y'all on here don't have a life or just never grew up or been in the (inner city) before every body that lives here has a past even Johnny northside only people I blame is you for thinking like a dick
How about blaming the person who shot these 2 people? Not the owner of the property. Our society is messed up . . . yes, let's sue the person who owned the building when someone (most likely not affiliated with the property) shoots the place up and kills people. Is it the theater's fault in Aurora, CO when a nut case opened fire there or the elementary school's fault in Sandy Hook, CT? How about instead we try something new and hold the people responsible for committing the crime accountable for their actions!
That was me last night @ 11:20 PM. Of course I blame the club owner, but the article said that the city sees flyers for parties online and handed out at bars. The flyers at bars are a same-day thing, but the Facebook & Twitter ads aren't. The cops could descend if they wanted to. Barb Johnson isn't the Chief of Police, but she's justifying a mystifyingly slow and inadequate response. People don't have a right to operate an illegal speakeasy, and identifying it as such should be trivially simple. Fire code violations alone probably justify a police response. Sending the club owner mail is insufficient, and is equivalent to not even trying to turn the battleship around.
To the commenter at March 10 10:02pm
pistalvanna???? Really? Perhaps at 3am you should be home learning how to spell and write? I don't know, just an idea. The reason you are at war with yourselves is because you shun the characteristics, lifestyle, values and habits of what will get you ahead in life. Dress and present yourself decently. Talk with clear languagea nd vocabulary. Learn basic spelling and grammar, I'm not talking about flawless error-free communication, I'm talking about the basics. Stop trying to get rich quick without hard work and persistence. Straighten up and fly right, the only people you can blame are yourselves, possibly your parents!
Holes: If you want to get out of one you have to quit digging. This is not Barb Johnsons fault simply because she did not dig this hole. This hole is dug with hard work and knowing exactly what you are accomplishing after this hole has been dug.
Every single day good hard working people are getting their lives back on track without throwing out lame excuses and blaming someone else. Finally i will never, for the life of me, understand why African-Americans hate each other so vehemently.
Anonymous 10:02 PM. In order to fix it you need to first take responsibility and STOP blaming others.
Any pics of erick felton????
What we need over here is a circular firing range, sort of like an outdoor skate park, so the thugs can put each other down without endangering decent people. That is one sports facility for which I would gladly support public funding.
Note to thugs: NO ONE CARES ABOUT YOU OR YOUR STUPID TEDDY BEAR MEMORIALS.
why can't these after hours clubs start using bands that put on half-assed light shows using fireworks, like whitesnake, or that band in brazil.
Johnny,
Any connection to the shooting at the "Black And Gold Room" or Erick Felton and the Yzaguirre Crime family?
Also, What is the status of Jill Clark's December 6th 2012 99 page crazy lawsuit? Did it get settled or dropped due to Jill Clarks Attorney license being suspended.
Barb Johnson should advocate better for homeowners, she seems to be out of touch in this area. WE ARE SICK OF THE OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF PROBLEMS ASSOCIATED WITH RENTAL PROPERTIES, BUSINESS OR RESIDENTIAL.
People always got something to say and don't know what the hell you talking about! He was grown and he could hang out anytime. The problem is you idiots, there's a lot of illegal guns on our streets. It didn't matter if it was 3am or 3pm, if someone has beef they don't handle the problem by communicating they just shoot and pay when their caught. Theirs no fucking HOPE. If your black your harassed like your nothing and yes we pay the (bastard)! I watch many people of color get harassed and they did not have criminal records at all. Rest In Peace my brother, you left Hell, The North side. He was a good person, so what he made mistakes. Cast the first stone if your perfect. Yeah right, just what I thought, GET A LIFE!!! You think that's okay to put people business out here. Your sick and you want attention. To use other people pain for your sickness, you need HELP! This man was someone's child, brother, uncle, and father. So all the negativity to make him look bad is worthless to the people who knew and loved him.
To the commentor at 8:31 . . . what makes me better than the two people who were shot? Where do I begin? Oh, I know, I've never been in prison (nor have I been convicted or even charged with a crime), I graduated from high school, college, and grad school, I have had a full time job since then, and most importantly, I don't get myself into situations where I get shot at and die in an after hours bar. And in case you're wondering, I grew up in the inner city too.
Every one has a past? Well not of domestic violence. It is not normal to beat the people you supposedly love.
MCullen NE
To the person who said "He was at the wrong place at the wrong time . . ."
No! He was with the wrong people at the wrong time who started issues with the wrong person (or people). If he had been at home, instead of out at an illegal bar with his thug-life cousin, he wouldn't have ended up dead.
Most people don't have a past that includes weapons charges, prison time, drugs, etc. It's all about choices. People choose to buy a gun, or they choose to not buy a gun. They choose to commit a crime and spend time in jail, or they choose to go to school and get a job. They choose to get arrested over and over, or they choose to have a job and lead a conventional life. They choose to go to an after-hours nightclub on the northside, where people are sure to be drunk and carrying weapons, and where a combination of machismo, poverty, weapons,alcohol,and the glorification of thug culture, all combine to create tragedy. They could choose to be at home, sleeping, because in the morning they have to get up for something that doesn't involve shoplifting, driving around looking for people to shoot, doing drugs, or knocking up the ladies. I am sure all of the people who live around that building are breathing a sigh of relief, because now that building has made the news, so hopefully the activity is over. Also, some of the commenters have a unique use of the English language that only makes them look uneducated, but I am sure they think it's cool.
To anon at March 11, 2013 at 4:35 PM: A person's education level has nothing to do with their character, bonehead. The Aurora, CO movie theater shooter was better educated than you; so I guess that makes him a better person than both Meady AND yourself, according to your ridiculous system. Pull your head out of your ass.
To the educated person that left this comment, your so smart that your dumb. Help someone with your education, don't be a idiot like you sound. Did you get all that education to hurt people? Or Help? I doubt it...You sound like a cold hearted racist. It's so sad to hear people rejoicing in crimes. Your stupid and 20 degrees don't make this right. Your degrees are worthless if your not teaching anyone else anything. Ignorance is inherited and you wear it well. Stop the stupidity, I can't tell you have any degrees. You live to hurt people and not to help them. YOUR ABSOLUTELY WORTHLESS!!! DO US ALL A FAVOR,"GO KILL YOURSELF".
J. Beiber? Your comment is ridiculous in itself. Education doesn't matter when people commit violent crimes. People who shoot and kill people are not better than anyone! Their education doesn't matter at all! The only form of life lower than murderers are Beiber fans!
Dont look now, but Felton be meltin( unless dey dun burnt him up) dont matter cuz he be gone an things be better
To the poster at 4:56 on 3/12, that's your answer? Go kill yourself? How is that helping other people? If you want to make a change, try starting with yourself and don't make comments that hurt, threaten, or put down other people. Instead, why not try to fix the problem with words not insults!!!
Seriously, people on this post need to learn to get along or nothing is ever going to change.
Beiber sucks!!!
thank you he was indeed a good man brother,son,cousin,nephew and friend he would do whatever he could to help anyone.love u erick
To the Anonymous post on March 13, 2013 at 11:54 AM. I could say what the HELL I want, "Free speech", now go Kill Yourself Jackass. If you can't handle the post don't fucking respond idiot! I have made a change, I don't fuck with idiots like you. I do like Johnny Northside, I don't give a fuck about people. I help my Damn self. Since I'm here with you bithches, less play the fucking game. Now I speak and Hoe you listen. Trick I help people all the time, what the fuck do you do? Wait on it... I don't give a fuck what you do, because your a idiot! Trick I could go all day! But your fucking worthless!!! Stop the violence, How bitch? I don't see your ass on the northside holding signs up to help. You clueless about the northside, your ass probably live NE. Don't give me advice, take your own advice. "REAL TALK" March 13, 2013 at 11:54 AM. FUCK YOU!!!
Education doesn't necessarily make someone better or worse than another person, but I believe living a good life by being a good person (and not committing crimes) does make someone "better" than others who choose to follow that path. These two guys obviously chose a life of crime.
Now people will say "they made a mistake when they were younger and they were turning their lives around."
But let's be honest, were these two guys really turning their lives around? If so, why were they out at an illegal club, probably drinking and smoking weed, associating with other felons (they were both felons so they should have avoided each other), and getting into a fight or causing problems at 3 am on a week night? All 4 of those things are breaking their probation. So once again, how exactly were they turning their lives around?
Plus, both of them were fathers and they probably had provisions to their probations about being good role models to their kids (its usually listed as taking parenthood classes and paying child support).
Being out at 3 am on a week night at an illegal bar is not really what I would consider "being a good role model."
Also, as it states above, they both died owing fines. If they had money to go to a club, then they should have had money to pay their outstanding fines as well.
Did these guys deserve to die? Who knows. But really what were they doing to make their lives better in the first place? Now they are just 2 more statistics. Hopefully their children (and others) will learn from their mistakes and avoid living that lifestyle.
^ You mad bro? I think your ass just got trolled!
March 12, 2013 at 11:02 AM I agree with everything you say! Especially the unique grasp of the English language that some posters have.
It actually gave me a headache trying to read some of these posts! People need to learn the difference between 'your' as in something that belongs to you and 'you're' the conjunction of you & are as in "You're a ______."
Oh and 2:46, what exactly is a 'bithches'? I'm curious, most people that have trouble with the English language can at least spell the swear words right!
Have they solved this crime yet? I mean with 50 to 100 people at the club, some one had to have witnessed the shooting and known who the shooter was.
anon @ March 12, 2013 at 10:41 PM: Why don't you read over my comment a second time, numbnuts? We are IN AGREEMENT on the issue, education has nothing to do with character! Thats exactly what I said. I am surprised an illiterate person such as yourself has managed to make it this far into the internet.
To the poster that wants everyone to kill themselves . . . do yourself a favor and learn to use spell check. The little red lines under the words in the post box means you spelled something wrong!
Try better grammar and put down the crack pipe anonymous 2:26
Racial Fail - How can people on this comment board call others racist? Do y'all know each others color?
The people that throw out the race card are usually the real racists.
To the person who said Minnesota needs a place for the young urban crowd to hang out? These 2 guys weren't "young." They were 23 & 32. They were both fathers as well. They should have been home with their families! Not out at an illegal bar at 3 am on a Thursday hanging with low-lives.
On the count of three...1,2,3..it's white people's fault that black people hate each other and LOVE to kill each other. I think it is ironic that no other race of people kill each other with impunity and blame another race like they do.
A place to hang out @3 in de mornin'? When you are fucking 32 years old? I believe that black people need to quit blaming others and face up to the fact that they are the worst racist's by far and the worst excuse using assholes who suffer from self-hatred. GROW UP, YOU PATHETIC BABIES!!!
It's called Typo dumbass. Okay, let me give you your real title, "BITCHES", is that better? Shut the hell up, Oh thats right hide behind your post. They didn't smoke weed, so go slander someone else who gives a fuck. You said crack, "Wow", the crack you and your mama smoked last night. Trick, crack is wack! You should have learned that from Whitney Houston! You didn't even know the victims, so stop acting like you give a fuck about the Northside. You're fucking clueless about this life, Go find one that somebody really cares about. I could go all day insulting you, EAT SHIT AND DIE! You bore me Bitch, moving on to some real shit! SPELL THIS, FUCK YOU!!! YOU DON'T NEED EDUCATION FOR THIS!! RIP March 13, 2013 at 4:39 PM POSTER... See you started war. You see how easy that shit is when you're fucking clueless.
Always blaming white people for your problems do not make your problems go away. The fact of the matter is it ain't white people's fault that black people hate each other. It is a goddamned shame though.
To follow-up on Anon 5:37's observation that there were 50-100 people there, so shouldn't the police have made an arrest by now, as it has been nearly a week? Apparently, there were few reliable witnesses in the crowd. We shall see if the police solve this case, but this may have the overtones of the Kevin Brewer incident.
Thirteen years ago, an eleven year-old kid watches a fight among craps shooters in Cottage Park, and catches three errant bullets in an ensuing shoot-out. There were 100 people present, and the 20-30 principal witnesses questioned by the police had a history of something like 800 "significant police contacts" among them. Lord knows how much prison time had been tallied by this group. The reward still stands at $150k for Kevin's unsolved murder:
http://www.spotlightoncrime.org/case_brewer_kevin.html
Evidently, nobody saw nothin'.
To 9:20, shut the fuck up already. Do you realize that you posted anomymous? Nothing is "ON" now but your pathetic existence making bogus,bitch threats and NO NAME.
You are an illiterate and ignorant mama's boy who ain't got a clue,foo! R.I.P? give me a break, sissy boy, and wipe the rest of your brains off the rim of your ass.
There is a place for young urban thugs like these 2 to hang out at 3 in the morning, it's called PRISON! That's where they should have been. They were both out early (probably because our system is too lenient) and went right back to the thug life. Look where that got them!
Not surprised that nobody saw anything . . . I bet 99% of the 50 to 100 people had a record at least as long as these two. Thug life culture . . . you reap what you sow!
Facebook now has an R.I.P. Erick Felton page.
The to person who thinks these guys just needed a place to go to have a little fun, have you noticed you're the only one on this post thread who thinks it is ok to be out at an illegal bar at 3 am? Get your young ass outta here and get back to school! Or get a job and start being a productive member of society!
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