Apparently, Slumlord Paul Bertelson Preferred To "Pull A Curtain Rather Than Pull A Permit" At 2818 Colfax Ave. N. Duplex Death Trap For Five Children...

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

It was slumlord Keith Rietman who taught me the motto "I'd rather pull a curtain than pull a permit," but it turns out Rietman can't hold a candle to Paul Bertelson, the master of magical repairs and renovations which manifest without the costly burden of official paper...

JNS BLOG RED HOT SUPER EXCLUSIVE: Jose Francisco Gomez, Featured On "America's Most Wanted," Sitting In Hennepin County Jail On Rape Charges...(Not North Minneapolis Related)

Mugshot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

Jose Francisco Gomez, no known relation to the infamous Gomez crime family, was featured on the television show America's Most Wanted back in January of 2011, click here for City Pages article. Gomez, who was a preacher but apparently had some kind of deal going with the devil, was alleged to have spent years raping his stepdaughter starting when she was seven...

Malo "The Bored Shooter" Gomez Has Appeal Rejected, Court Says When You Shoot At Police It's Only Rational To Conclude You Were Trying To Kill Them...

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and
Criticism, and JNS blog asserted public safety exception to copyright,
blog post by John Hoff

Malo Gomez, who fired on two Minneapolis police officers parked in a squad car because Malo was "bored," recently had his appeal shot down by the Minnesota Court of Appeals, click here for a copy of the opinion.

The court said when somebody shoots at police it's reasonable to conclude the intent is to kill the police and, indeed, it wouldn't be "rational" to conclude otherwise. Incredibly, there was already...

This North Minneapolis Level Three Sex Offender Is Under FEDERAL Supervision, What's Up With THAT?

MN DOC mugshot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

Tonight, while researching an unrelated issue involving the concentration of Level Three Sex Offenders in North Minneapolis, I glanced at the MN DOC webpage for Rafiq Z. Muhaymin (pictured above) and noticed something unusual.

This guy is under FEDERAL supervision...

2818 Colfax Ave. N., Where Five Children Died In Fire, Was Sold In 2009 For A Mere $10,500 To Slumlord Paul Bertelson...

 

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

 

 Asking for anonymity, a reader who is familiar with the real estate biz send this blog some information about the sale of 2818 Colfax Ave. N. to Mission Inn Minnesota, a rental property empire controlled by Paul "Slumlord Doing Good For Jesus" Bertelson.  The rental property was the site of a fatal fire that claimed the lives of five children on Valentine's Day...

Criminal Complaint Against Demiteras Cooper Alleges Unnamed Co-Conspirator Was Triggerman In Murder Of Johnathon Harris...

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism,
and JNS blog asserted public safety exception to copyright, blog post by
John Hoff

Click here for criminal complaint.

A recently-released criminal complaint against Demiteras Cooper alleges the murder of Johnathon Harris (pictured above) happened because of an argument about leaving Harris behind at a bar...

Family Of Shooting Victim Johnathon "Jada" Harris And Family Of Accused Murderer Demiteras Cooper Go At Each Other On Facebook...

Facebook image of Johnathon "Jada" J. Harris, used under First Amendment Fair
Comment and Criticism, and JNS blog asserted public safety exception to copyright,
blog post by John Hoff

With Hillside Ave. N. murder victim Johnathon "Jada" J. Harris not even buried, yet, and his alleged killer Demiteras Cooper sitting in jail on a probable cause charge of murder but not otherwise formally charged, already family of the victim and family of the accused murderer are profanely tearing into each other on Facebook...

Murder Victim Johnathon J. Harris Was "Jada Harris" On Facebook, Where He Posted Images Of A Hard Working Man Who Loved Children, A Second Shooting Suspect May Be At Large...

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism, and JNS
blog asserted public safety exception to copyright, blog post by John Hoff

Numerous online "RIP" tributes have confirmed that Johnathon J. Harris, a murder victim who was shot at 2017 Hillside Ave. N., went by the name "Jada Harris" on Facebook. Though the name "Jada" looks like a female name, it may be a nickname of "Johnathon" based upon the way a child might attempt to pronounce the name. There are numerous pictures of children on "Jada's" Facebook profile, none of which will be published here.

Though Harris had a rough criminal background he did not appear to revel on Facebook in any criminal activity unlike so many others whose homicides have been featured on this blog...

Informed Source Says 2017 Hillside Ave. N. Was Location Of Fatal Shooting Of Johnathon J. Harris, Allegedly By Demiteras Cooper...

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and
Criticism, blog post by John Hoff

Tomorrow, Monday, I suspect mainstream media will return to their jobs and provide more information about the shooting on the 2000 Block of Hillside Ave. N. which claimed the life of Johnathon J. Harris. The calendar is running to see how many DAYS it will be before some other media entity publishes the name of Demiteras Cooper as a suspect. You read the name here, first.

Now it turns out JNS blog might also have the specific address of the shooting before any other media source...

Informed Source Says High Speed Police Chase, "PIT Manuever" And Arrest Of Corjarah Gregory Warren May Be Connected To Shooting Of Johnathon J. Harris On Hillside Ave. N. And Arrest Of Demiteras Cooper On Murder Charge...(ADDENDUM, MARCH 22, SEE BELOW)

Wikipedia image of damage to police car following "PIT" maneuver, blog
post by John Hoff

(Addendum, March 22, 2014. Though police at the scene apparently believed this incident might be related to the Hillside Ave. N. shooting, and though it turns out suspect Corjarah Warren had even made a claim he was shot, subsequent examination of the facts has now determined the chase and the Hillside shooting were NOT related)

Incredible information is coming loose about the shooting of Johnathon J. Harris on Hillside Ave. North. I am being told by a source in a position to know on the night of the shooting police had the names of two suspects, only one of which was Demiteras Cooper, now sitting in jail for probable cause on a murder charge.

The night of the shooting there was a high speed chase in Brooklyn Park which may have been connected to the shooting and its aftermath; either a fleeing murder suspect or somebody chasing after a fleeing murder suspect, or somebody getting the hell out of Dodge. The car involved in the BP chase was stolen with Iowa license plates. Interestingly...

High Ranking, Official Source Confirms Demiteras Cooper Was Arrested For (Alleged) Murder Of Johnathon J. Harris...

Mugshot, Maricopa County, Arizona, public domain, blog post by
John Hoff

A high-ranking official source has confirmed by email that Demiteras Cooper, pictured above, arrested yesterday afternoon and held on a charge of "murder," is in fact being held in connection with the shooting death of Johnathon J. Harris on Hillside Ave. North. Authorities have until Monday to charge Cooper and charges are highly unlikely to happen over the weekend.

Both Cooper and Harris have extensive criminal records.

Federal Judge Dismisses All Claims Of Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer Against Jordan Area Community Council, This Blogger, Minnesota Department Of Corrections Employee Will McDonald, And Others...

Wikipedia image, creative commons, blog post by John Hoff

A federal judge recently dismissed all claims in a federal lawsuit by Peter "Spanky Pete" Rickmyer, a Level Three Sex Offender who is notorious for filing baseless and frivolous litigation. Rickmyer is currently wanted on a "non-extraditable" warrant in Oklahoma over a sex offense involving exposing himself to minors but Oklahoma (the very epicenter of folksy wisdom in the spirit of Will Rogers) doesn't want Rickmyer back.




The dismissal of Rickmyer's most recent lawsuit took place on February 5 but it's difficult to get very excited about this kind of thing or find it blogworthy. When ISN'T Spanky Pete filing a lawsuit? And when...

Johnathon J. Harris, 32, Victim Of Shooting On Hillside Ave. N., Had Extensive Criminal Record...

Wikipedia creative commons image, blog post by John Hoff

The Star Tribune is identifying Johnathon J. Harris, 32, as the victim of a homicide yesterday on Hillside Avenue North. This blog has identified an individual arrested the same day for a murder but so far has not found whether the two are linked.

There is an extensive police record for a Johnathon JOSEPH Harris, also age 32, (DOB February 14, 1982) who most recently resided in the 55411 zip code. Sure looks like the same guy...

Demiteras Cooper, Arrested Yesterday As A Murder Suspect, Hails From "Chicago," But Not Much Else Is Revealed On Facebook...

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism,
plus JNS blog asserted public safety exception to copyright, plus (joke font)
"stripy dude in front of painting of Obama exception," (end joke font) blog
post by John Hoff

A helpful reader pointed me to the Facebook profile of Demiteras Cooper, (click here for previous article) arrested last night on a murder charge. It is believed the murder happened on the 2000 block of Hillside N. yesterday, but that (as well as the name of the victim or even the specific address where the murder took place) is unconfirmed and unknown. Birthday and face and distinctive name, however, lets me confirm this is the same Demiteras Cooper. Compare his face above with...

Demiteras Cooper, Arrested Yesterday For Murder, Has Quite A Record...

Wikipedia commons photo, blog post by John Hoff

Last night, JNS blog was looking at the jail roster and caught the name of a newly arrested murder suspect, Demiteras Cooper . Cooper reportedly lives at 822 Thomas Ave. N. It's likely the crime for which he was arrested was a murder yesterday on the 2000 block of Hillside Ave. N. but I have been unable to confirm that and, believe me, I did some checking.

Yesterday, my searches weren't turning anything up but it was late at night and I may have been spelling "Demiteras" wrong. Today all kinds of stuff turns up, with a lot of leads left by anonymous commenters.

This guy has a record as long as my arm...

DEMITERAS AL COOPER Arrested, Charged With Murder Today, More To Follow...

Wikicommons image, blog post by John Hoff

Demiteras Al Cooper, DOB 4/11/76, a resident of 822 Thomas
Ave. N., was arrested today and jailed at approximately 3:42 PM on a probable cause charge of murder by the Minneapolis Police Department. Given the fact there was a murder today on the 2000 block of Hillside Ave. N., it's likely this arrest involves THAT, though it could just be an incredible coincidence.

Incredibly, nothing turns up in MNCIS or even Google for a "Demiteras Al Cooper," leaving this blogger to wonder if it's a fake name or a spelling error. (ADDENDUM, FEBRUARY 21, either there was a fluke in MNCIS last night or something was wrong with the initial search. Turns out the guy has a long record. See next blog post)

More when I know more...

Walter Thompson III Still Pending Trial Over Alleged Murder, Still Has Rap Sheet From Hell, But Still Hasn't Been Convicted Of Murder...(Not North Minneapolis Related)

Mugshot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

An anonymous commenter asked me about an old story, which led me into a bit of digging and a phone call. Turns out Walter Thompson III, charged in the horrific murder of Narissa Shaw, is still facing charges and is apparently out on bail since he's not on the Hennepin County Jail roster. However...

Same Rumor, Different Day, Was There A Federal Raid On A House Connected With Taliban Gang?

Police raid stock photo by John Hoff, this does not show alleged raid discussed
in this story, blog post by John Hoff

On February 10, publishing admittedly secondhand information and mere rumor, this blog passed on "word on the street" of a raid by "feds" against a house controlled by the Taliban street gang with arrests of some members.

Today, my same source emphatically reasserts this event did in fact happen and adds, further, it was somewhere between the 33 and 37 block of Emerson Ave. N. or Fremont Ave. N.

The source says it was a "stash house" and guns were seized and that the raid was connected with the shooting death of Tyrone "Ty Crack" Washington at Epic Night Club. Washington was "19 Dipset" and therefore a rival of the Taliban and allied "YNT" gang. There has been an incredible amount of back-and-forth beefing between these gangs, lately, much of it revolving around controversial music videos that appear to reference the murder of Mr. Washington.

This information about a raid continues to be unconfirmed but I know the source to be a sincere person with an ear to the streets. Take that for what it is worth.

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: Pictures Purportedly Of A "Not So Slummy" 2818 Colfax Ave. N., Site Of Fire That Killed Five Small Children...

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

A woman describing herself as a former tenant of Paul Bertelson, the landlord at 2818 Colfax Ave. N., site of a fatal fire that claimed the lives of five small children, emailed me and said as follows...

More Mugshots Turn Up Of Tragic Patriarch Troy Lewis Who Lost Five Children In A Fire, Including Disturbing (Possible) Charges Of "Intentionally Providing False Information," Uh huh....

 

Mugshots used under First Amendment Fair Comment and criticism, also JNS
blog believes the mere placement of a watermark on a public document does not
make it less a public document, also JNS blog asserted "public safety exception"
to copyright, and just to be safe JNS blog urges everybody to find great mugshot
pics at Mugshots Online; blog post by John Hoff

An anonymous commenter to this blog told me to head over to Mugshots Online and search under "Troy NMN Lewis" to see what turns up.

Two more mugshots turn up, with the date of birth and the now-familiar face of Troy Lewis. Lewis lost five of his seven children in a fire at 2818 Colfax Ave. N. The death of the children is undoubtedly a horrific tragedy but JNS blog is committed to asking tough questions about what happened particularly in light of the extensive criminal background of the father which, to any reasonable person, would throw some question on his credibility.  

Particularly this latest info...

Child Protective Services Has Reportedly Placed Two Surviving Children From Valentine's Day Fire In Its Custody, And JNS Blog Compiles A List Of "Tough Questions" The Public Deserves To Have Answered By Mainstream Media...

Mug shot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

JNS blog has heard by email from a trustworthy person, and seen information posted persistently in a neighborhood Facebook forum, that the two surviving children of Troy Lewis have been placed in a status of "protected hold" by Child Protective Services. This information is unconfirmed. Five of Lewis' children perished in a Valentines Day fire at 2818 Colfax Ave. N., a duplex owned by slumlord Paul Bertelson's Mission Inn Minnesota.

If mass media such as KARE actually cared about digging into relevant facts instead of telling a thrilling, tragic soap opera version of these terrible events, then we might actually learn some of the following pertinent pieces of info...

More Uncomfortable Information About Troy Lewis, Tragic Patriach Who Lost Five Children In Fire At 2818 Colfax Ave. N.

 I submit the following for the scrutiny of readers who are, indeed, asking the uncomfortable questions and failing to swallow the simplistic soap opera story told by the mass media about this tragedy of Biblical proportions.

This document containing Cook County information, copied and pasted below, is in an unfamiliar form to me and might list mere charges instead of convictions. But what it does show is even more of a checkered past for Troy Lewis than the rape conviction and requirement to register as a predatory offender we actually KNEW about.

This blog continues to question whether his two surviving children should be placed back in the care of Troy Lewis or his family, EVER...

Illinois DOC Detail

Record Details

Name  LEWIS, TROY	Date of Birth  Jan 23 1954	Race  none found	Gender  M
Height (ft inches)  510	Weight (lbs.)  204	Hair Color  none found	Eye Color  none found
ID Number  N81290	Inmate Status  none found	Original Admit Date  May 31 2005	Current Admit Date  Aug 3 2005
Projected Parole Date  May 15 2005	Actual Parole Date   0 1900	Projected Discharge Date  May 15 2006	Discharge Reason  none found
Parent Institution  none found	Living Unit - Institution  none found	Living Unit - Location  none found

Offenses

Offense  FAIL REPORT CHANGE OF ADDRESS	Crime Class  4	Offense Counts  01	Sentence (yyyymmdddd)  0001000000
Custody Date  Apr 11 2005	County  COOK	Discharge Status  Y

Offense  RECEIVE/POSS/SELL STOLEN VEH	Crime Class  2	Offense Counts  01	Sentence (yyyymmdddd)  0006000000
Custody Date  Sep 15 1995	County  COOK	Discharge Status  Y

Offense  BRING/POSS WEAPON/PENAL INST	Crime Class  1	Offense Counts  01	Sentence (yyyymmdddd)  0004000000
Custody Date  Sep 15 1995	County  KNOX	Discharge Status  Y

Offense  BRING/POSS/CANNABIS/PENAL INST	Crime Class  3	Offense Counts  01	Sentence (yyyymmdddd)  0002000000
Custody Date  Sep 15 1995	County  LA SALLE	Discharge Status  Y

Offense  FELON POSS/USE WEAPON/FIREARM	Crime Class  3	Offense Counts  01	Sentence (yyyymmdddd)  0005000000
Custody Date  Oct 19 1987	County  COOK	Discharge Status  Y

Offense  CARRY/POSS FIREARM/PUBLIC/SCH	Crime Class  3	Offense Counts  01	Sentence (yyyymmdddd)  0005000000
Custody Date  Oct 19 1987	County  COOK	Discharge Status  Y

Offense  RAPE	Crime Class  X	Offense Counts  01	Sentence (yyyymmdddd)  0014000000
Custody Date  Oct 13 1987	County  COOK	Discharge Status  Y

Offense  DEVIATE SEXUAL ASSAULT	Crime Class  X	Offense Counts  01	Sentence (yyyymmdddd)  0014000000
Custody Date  Oct 13 1987	County  COOK	Discharge Status  Y

Hot And Specific New Allegations Aired On Facebook About Troy Lewis, Tragic Patriarch Who Lost 5 Children And, Uncomfortably And Inconveniently, A Registered Sex Offender From Cook County, Illinois...

Facebook photo of "Luvd'bydabest Hated Bydarest," used under First
Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism, blog post by John Hoff

Same Facts, Different Narratives

At this moment, there are at least two, possibly three, red hot public narratives happening in regard to the tragic February 14 fire which claimed the lives of 5 out of 7 siblings at 2818 Colfax Ave. N.

Oh, The Humanity!

The first narrative talks about the terrible tragedy, urges help for the survivors, but ignores or angrily minimizes certain uncomfortable facts which don't conveniently fit with the soap opera mass media story of innocent, tragic, blameless victims of cruel, hard fate. Call it the "mainstream media narrative."

This Pollyanna tale spun itself upon about 200 media outlets all across the nation before anybody dug very deeply into facts beyond the immediate scene of the fire. Some have even described the father, Troy Lewis, as a "former Marine" who was "wounded" in "Desert Storm." If there is a shred of proof, such as a picture  of Troy in uniform or military discharge papers, I haven't seen THAT proof as part of THAT narrative.

Oh, and the slumlord should be held responsible.

That, in summary, is the first narrative.

An Inconvenient Truth, Well, A Number Of Them

The second narrative (call it the Johnny Northside narrative, though it is bigger than this blog) acknowledges there was a tragedy, and realizes the children need help, but includes uncomfortable facts in its telling of the tale. Chief among these facts and first aired on this blog is the icky, uncomfortable knowledge Troy Lewis, the tragic father who lost five children, is a registered sex offender...

Troy Lewis, Tragic Patriarch Who Lost Five Children In A Fire, Is One And The Same With Troy Lewis The Convicted Sex Offender From Chicago, Why These Ugly Facts Matter When Considered Against The Slumlord Practices Of People Like Paul Bertelson Who Prey Upon A Vulnerable Class Of Tenant...

Mug Shot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

Click here for a document.

Click here for another.

A Tragedy Of Biblical Proportions

Troy Lewis is a tragic figure like the Old Testament character of Job. Lewis lost five of his seven small children in a fire on Valentine's Day, and this after losing the mother of his children  Kim Davis (Kimberly Davis) to heart failure a few months back. The most cynical among us would not wish such a thing upon their worst enemies.

In light of everything being said about that second (and third) story apartment at 2818 Colfax Ave. N. and the situation with the heaters, if the ultimate report by the fire investigators lays any portion of blame upon the landlord then I hope Troy Lewis sues Paul "Slumlord Doing Good For Jesus" Bertelson until Bertelson doesn't have two nickels to toss into the church collection plate.

The fact Lewis was renting from Bertelson and the fact Lewis is indeed a convicted sex offender (smoking gun verification of THAT in the documents above, see previous article with troubling facts hinting at this situation) do not appear to be closely related facts, unless you know how slumlords habitually operate in our neighborhood where decades of bad city and county policy has allowed poverty to concentrate itself...

JNS BLOG EXCLUSIVE: City of Minneapolis Was Threatening To Shut Off Water At 2818 Colfax Ave. N. On Very Day Of Fatal Fire That Killed Five Children...

Wikipedia creative commons image, blog post by John Hoff

A commenter on this blog left information and my following up proved the information true and highly relevant. On Valentine's Day, February 14, the very day of a fire that claimed the lives of five children at 2818 Colfax Ave. N., the City of Minneapolis was threatening to shut off the water for an unpaid balance of $271.69.

The information can be found by...

"Drug Activity" Was Suspected At 2818 Colfax Ave. N. Around December Of 2013, Address Was Site Of Fatal Fire That Killed 5 Children...

(DEAD LINKS, for illustration only)

Previous 1 2 3 Next »

• Drug Activity at 3626 EMERSON AVE N
• Drug Activity at James & 6th Aves North
• Drug Activity at 33RD & FREMONT AVE N
• Drug Activity at 4245 DUPONT AVE N
• Drug Activity at 2818 COLFAX AVE N
• Drug Activity at 3606 EMERSON AVE N
• Drug Activity at 3619 FREMONT AVE N
• Drug Activity at 3247 LYNDALE AVE N
• Drug Activity at 3251 LYNDALE AVE N
• Drug Activity at 3506 DUPONT AVE N

In trying to dig up every nugget of info about 2818 Colfax Ave. N., the site of a fatal fire that claimed the lives of five children yesterday, Valentine's Day, I came across some information on the Fourth Precinct CARE Task Force website...

Troy Lewis, Age 60, Has Been Down Rough Path In Life, His Name And Age Match Patriarch In Today's Tragic House Fire...

MN DOC mug shot from predatory sex offenders site, therefore public
domain, blog post by John Hoff

Nobody is going to like this blog post. I don't like writing it and you won't like reading it. But the facts that smell the worst are the ones most in need of airing.

The patriarch of the family of 7 children, 5 of which died in a fire today, is named Troy Lewis and he is age 60 according to information in the Star Tribune. These vital statistics match, exactly, with a guy named Troy Lewis born January 23, 1954, who is a registered predatory sex offender. (Not a "Level Three," just the kind required to stay registered)

In 2008, Troy Lewis (the sex offender) appeared before Honorable Judge Patricia Karasov for...

EMBRA JERMAINE BOLDEN Listed 2818 Colfax Ave. N. As His Address When Sitting In Jail, Location Was Scene Of Deadly Fire That Claimed 5 Lives Including At Least 3 Children...

Stock photo, blog post by John Hoff

According to the last two last paragraphs of a story in the Star Tribune about the deadly fire at 2818 Colfax Ave. N., a next door neighbor "said the house always drew a lot of attention, with adults fighting and police being called. Just a few weeks ago, a man and woman were yelling at each other there." 

The story went on to say "three police reports have been generated relating to this building in the last 14 months, said police spokesman John Elder. Two were for assaults in February and July 2013. A third was for theft in January." 

JNS blog is trying to figure out who, exactly, may have lived at that sad, troubled slumlord property and what kind of police records (if any) they might have. This was a tragedy and at least three innocent children are dead. Digging up every fact that can be found and publishing all those facts is what this blog does. 

To some degree the task is, however, pointless. Nine people were injured in a fire at a property owned by slumlord Mahmoud Khan, but Khan still has rental licenses.  In the wake of this kind of tragedy there will be a hue and cry in the short term, a gnashing of civic teeth, but history shows nothing will come of it in the long term and the slumlords will keep right on slumming. 

Oh, well. Time to embrace the futility...

Information on my handy-dandy monthly republication of the Hennepin County Jail Roster turns up the name Embra Jermaine Bolden...

Fire That Killed 5 People Was At 2818 Colfax Ave. N., Owned By Mission Inn Minnesota, An Entity Controlled By Slumlord Paul Bertelson...

Creative stock photo, missing children, blog post by
John Hoff

One major media outlet is reporting the recent duplex fire which killed five people (so far) was at 2818 Colfax Ave. N. This troublesome slumlord entity is controlled by Paul Bertelson, whose neglectful doings have slimed their way through the virtual pages of this blog a handful of times...

Dennis Lee Heard, Out Of Prison After A Weapons Charge, Now Charged With (What Else?) Weapons Possession...

Wikipedia Creative Commons image of movie poster for "Hobo With A Shotgun," 
blog post by John Hoff

Click here for criminal complaint.

Dennis Lee Heard was arrested on a weapons charge back in August of 2013, but he's still in jail today with bail set at $100,000. According to police and prosecutors, when a warrant was served on the "2200 block of Russell Ave. N.," both a sawed-off shotgun and a .40 caliber Glock turned up. 

The shotgun was found...

"Facebook Journalist" Observed A "Frantic" Woman Looking For Devon Parker Shortly After Murder Of Good Samaritan Thomas Sonnenberg...

Photo from Facebook used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism
and/or assumed permission as well as JNS blog asserted public safety exception to
copyright, blog post by John Hoff

Here's an odd factoid which happened, and seems significant, but hasn't been discussed in the many articles and commentaries written about the murder of Good Samaritan Thomas Sonnenberg, a crime which shocked a neighborhood which has seen everything and been reported from San Francisco to England...

"Word On The Street" Of A Federal Raid Against Taliban Gang, Arrests And More, But All This Is COMPLETELY UNVERIFIED...

Stock photo by John Hoff of "Taliban country" in Ghazni Province,
Afghanistan, blog post by John Hoff

JNS blog constantly weighs the urgency of information against its reliability. This information comes from a non-official source close to the street who has always been helpful and extremely reliable, but the info is completely unverified and meets a JNS blog "urgency" standard, not my usual standard of reliability. 

My source says as follows:

So word on the street is yes the taliban dudes are the ones tgat killed ty crack and they just got raided by the feds and they found guns, they are downtown snitchin on eachother right now. Word on the street

JNS blog has its ear to the ground for any further details. If anybody knows anything, please comment. 

Details In Complaint Against John Iverson, Accused Of Killing A Bicyclist While Driving Drunk, Are Horrible To Contemplate...

Mugshot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

Click here for criminal complaint which provides details of a previous story on this blog. But be warned. It is upsetting. 

I guess most criminal complaints are highly upsetting to SOMEBODY. Let me put it another way. This criminal complaint is graphic and terrible and if you're a bicyclist, you will be outraged and horrified and you might even re-think your biking hobby, it's THAT bad...

Because It's Only Right And Fair, Here's "My Shit Bang" By "Kash Da Kid," Who Apparently Sings For The Other Side In Dangerous Musical Controversy Over Death Of Tyrone "Ty Crack" Washington...

YouTube embed, blog post by John Hoff

This blog has reported, extensively, a controversy over music videos by rapper Mental Mid ("Kobe Diss" and "No Competition") which have (it is quite fair to say) given severe offense to friends and allies of slain gang leader Tyrone "Ty Crack" Washington and put Minneapolis police on a state of alert which caused the cancellation of a much-anticipated concert by "Young Dro."

JNS blog has urged both sides to NOT kill each other and instead to continue making music airing their grievances. I have also been on the record stating I'll give public prominence to the music of both sides in the controversy, if that music is brought to my attention...

"Read Myron Orfield's Report On Subsidized Housing" Says High Ranking Source To Johnny Northside...

Facebook photo, Proton Investments, some of the most guilty concentrators
of poverty in Minneapolis currently running around outside of prison walls,
photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism, blog post
by John Hoff

Click here for hugely important document that will raise your IQ by a point or two, if you read it all the way through.

Sometimes my sources feed me red hot nuggets of scandalous information, but other times my civic sources tell me, "Johnny, you should familiarize yourself with this boring-yet-important report on Issue X, Y, Z."

Today is the sort of day which falls into the second category. Dutiful good citizen blogger that I am, I know sometimes I must "eat my vegetables" and urge those same vegetables upon readers. MinnPost is already on this story, but something like this needs all the exposure it can get. While MinnPost calls the report "combustible," I must say it only contains what folks in North Minneapolis have known for decades...

John Iverson Accused Of Killing A Bicylist, JNS Blog Digs Up His Address...(Not North Minneapolis Related)

Mug shot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

John NMN Iverson, (DOB 10/16/64) is accused of killing a bicyclist while driving drunk. The mainstream media have this story pretty well in hand but they don't like to print the addresses of suspects while JNS blog LOVES to print addresses...

North Minneapolis Residents Use Phrases Like "Sloppy Seconds" To Describe How They Feel About Weak Response By Honorable Mayor Hodges In Light Of "Good Samaritan Murder" Of Thomas Sonnenberg...

Image from website of Mayor Hodges, a public official, used under First
Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism, blog post by John Hoff

Fully a week after the murder of Thomas Sonnenberg by 20-year-old Devon Parker, now known from sea-to-shining-sea as the "Good Samaritan Murder," Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges issued a statement to the local neighborhood association in the area where the murder took place.

While saving MOST of my commentary for a later date, I wish to preserve this statement for the public record because there may be a need to refer to it months and years later...

JNS Blog Responds To Pastor Harding N. Smith, Who Appears To Be Seizing His Moment In The Media Sunlight After Death Of Good Samaritan Thomas Sonnenberg, And My Response Can Be Summed Up As Follows: STAY IN BROOKLYN CENTER AND QUIT KNOCKING ON DOORS IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS!

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism,
and (joke font) "woman with twisty cane" exception to copyright, (end
joke font) blog post by John Hoff

Well, this wasn't hard to foresee. In light of the shocking death of a 69-year-old Good Samaritan who made the fatal mistake of opening his heart and his home to a 20-year-old man pleading for help, and died as a result of this spontaneous act of trust and charity, opportunistic social issues parasites are crawling out of the woodwork to get their faces in front of local and (potentially) national media.

The latest is Pastor Harding N. Smith, who managed to get an article yesterday in the Star Tribune (click here) but somehow the STrib never got around to mentioning Smith's church isn't in North Minneapolis but Brooklyn Center...

What Is The Opposite Of "Baby Mama Drama?" Looking At This Criminal Complaint, It Might Be "Baby Dad Goes Mad"

YouTube embed of song by Obvious Hill, blog post is by
John Hoff

Click here for the criminal complaint. 

Many a word has been written on this blog about incidents that revolve around "baby mama drama," but let's not be sexist. Baby dads can be just as bad (allegedly) in their own way, though their "drama" can be a more (shall we say?) high caliber variety...

Spam, Spam, Who Loves Spam? Johnny Northside Blog Loves Spam In A Very Limited Way, And Other Geeky Technical Revelations After Some Of The Wildest Weeks In This Blog's History...

Facebook photo depicting a scene in North Minneapolis, historical
artifacts uncovered at a big, roomy hundred-year-old mansion bought
for a song, technical reasons for using this photo previously explained,
blog post by John Hoff

This blog posting discusses very geeky things that I'm posting mostly to document the technical evolution of this blog. If that bores you, then I (the very author of this posting) will urge you not to read something boring. I'll have some "baby dad got mad" drama for you in the very next blog post, I promise!  

Now then, this has been a wild couple of weeks. Let's start with viewership numbers...

When Police Pulled Over A Vehicle Near 33rd And Bryant Ave. N., Mark Anthony Devine Pranced Around Outside The Vehicle And Made A Bold Play To Ditch A Loaded .380 Pistol, Allegedly...

Wikipedia image of .380 pistol, therefore image is in creative commons,
blog post by John Hoff

Click here for the criminal complaint. 

When police pulled over Bernard Miles, Jr for not having a front license plate, the car reportedly smelled of marijuana which remains illegal in Minnesota. Police asked Miles to step out of the vehicle but Miles resisted and argued with the officers, like THAT was going to work...

Mental Mid, Involved In Controversy Over "Kobe Diss" And "No Competition" Music Videos Apparently Referencing Murder Of Tyrone "Ty Crack" Washington, Releases New Song "Back Flip" Today As He Promised...

YouTube Embed, the blog post is by John Hoff

"Mental Mid" put two songs out into the world, "Kobe Diss" and "No Competition" and North Minneapolis went insane like a rabid pit bull on CRACK!!! 

The commentary, the threats, the responses to the threats, the (um) INVESTIGATION into the threats, it was like nothing this blog had ever experienced before except for that time the police promised to serve a subpoena if I didn't turn over some emails about who deserved to die over selling fake "purple drank" on the internet. 

ANYWAY!!!! 

The much-anticipated "Young Dro" concert at The Venue was cancelled in the middle of the angry and threatening back-and-forth about "Kobe Diss" and "No Competition"...

Minneapolis Contemplates Enforcing Nuisance Statute Against Homestead Of Alleged Dog-Fight Promotor John Adrian Handy, JNS Blog Says, "What? This State HAS A Nuisance Statute And Minneapolis Public Officials Have ACTUALLY HEARD ABOUT IT AND THINK THEY MIGHT DO SOMETHING WITH IT IN NORTH MINNEAPOLIS? WILL OUR CORNUCOPIA OF CIVIC WONDERS NEVER CEASE?!"

Mugshot, therefore public domain, blog post by John Hoff

Information just floating around on the Old Highland Listserv and forwarded to JNS blog by I'm-not-saying-who reveals the City of Minneapolis is THINKING ABOUT enforcing a state nuisance statute against John Adrian Handy. Handy has already been convicted once of animal cruelty but recently more dogs (illegal for Handy to possess if over 20 pounds) were found at his homestead by police; specifically at 1417 Fremont Avenue North. 

An official with the Fourth Precinct told neighbors it was great news and they should...

Victim Was Shot With His Own Gun And Other Revelations In North Minneapolis "Good Samaritan Murder," Allegedly By Devon Derrick Parker...

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism, 
and JNS blog asserted public safety exception to copyright, blog post by
John Hoff

The victim was shot with his own gun. This is the most shocking revelation in the criminal complaint against alleged "Good Samaritan Killer" Devon Derrick Parker, charged with the murder of 69-year-old Vietnam War vet Thomas Sonnenberg. In addition to being a vet and a longtime home owner (reportedly trapped by his mortgage in a high crime neighborhood) neither Sonnenberg nor his wife ever had so much as a charge of a speeding ticket. He was known as a helpful and soft-hearted man whose last earthly act...

Here Is The Devon Parker Criminal Complaint In North Minneapolis "Good Samaritan Murder"

Facebook photo used under First Amendment Fair Comment and Criticism and
JNS blog asserted public safety exception to copyright, blog post by John Hoff

By methods I care not to explain at present, JNS blog appears to have the Devon Derrick Parker criminal complaint (click here) before all the other media.

More to follow. 

Holler Family, Whose Property Is At Center Of Controversy Over Library Expansion, Win Appeals Court Decision And Keep Their Thin And Watery Little Defamation Lawsuit Alive Against Hennepin County...

Contributed photo, blog post by John Hoff

Word reaches me from an anonymous commenter of a decision today in the Minnesota Court of Appeals, click here for the decision, regarding the Holler family and their controversial property in the path of a planned library expansion. 

Currently, eminent domain proceedings are moving forward but almost forgotten in the course of this ugly dispute was a lawsuit filed by the Hollers alleging they were defamed (good heavens!) by Hennepin County...

Memorial Bracelet Worn In Controversial "No Competition" Music Video Was Like "Championship Ring" Says "Prince Kibbie," The Bracelet Had Street Name, Birthday And Date Tyrone Washington Was Murdered At Epic Nightclub...

Image contributed by anonymous and unknown-to-me internet source, blog
post by John Hoff

If you've been following the hottest story in the history of this blog about the music videos "Kobe Diss" and "No Competition," which appear to make reference to the murder of Tyrone "Ty Crack" Washington and (it can be fairly stated) gloat and revel in the death of Tyrone Washington, then you know a certain bracelet is part of the controversy.

According to what I'm being told, a number of tribute bracelets were made with the street name "Ty Crack" and the birthday and date of death of Tyrone Washington. However, it appears at least one fell into the hands of somebody who was not a friend, but a declared enemy of Tyrone Washington.

Yes, one of these bracelets meant to memorialize the tragic death of Tyrone Washington is being worn by none other than...

More Detail Comes Out About Cancellation Of Young Dro Concert Yesterday (Saturday) Due To "Threats Of Retaliation" Over Tyrone Washington Murder At "Yo Gotti"

Embed of "What I Do" by Mental Mid, blog post by John Hoff

JNS blog has now confirmed with more specificity the reason a rap concert by "Young Dro" was cancelled yesterday at The Venue. Using a "Who Is Talking" search device I managed to find Facebook conversation by Getdown Theprinceknati Olahdenn, who is involved in the music industry and appears to have some direct or indirect role with the cancelled Young Dro concert...