blog post by John Hoff
Click here for the criminal complaint, copies of which were sent to all local media outlets--from the tall to the small--by the Hennepin County prosecutor's office. Many stories have already been written by much bigger media, but let's see what exclusive crumbs are left over for a blogger...
First of all, it looks like the prosecutor managed to straighten out the alleged shooter's home address, something which didn't happen on the jail roster. Joseph Smith, who had a one year gun crime sentence hanging over his head at the time of this murder, reportedly resides at 3315 53rd Ave. N. in Brooklyn Center.
I could write about a subtle shift I'm seeing in CRIMINALS, if not actual CRIME, away from North Minneapolis toward "the two Brooklyns" (Brooklyn Park, Brooklyn Center) but with so much murder to cover right now (and it's NEW murder that's happened since my last blogging session!) I have to prioritize. Look for the pattern. I tell you, it's subtle but it's THERE.
So Cabrie Young, on probation but just as free as Joseph Lee Smith to join the wild and violent drinking party, was reportedly helping the victim of a fight when Young was fatally shot. The fight happened at 3442 Dupont Ave. N. and how excited this blog was to see major media using the specific street address, click here for an example.
(Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Minnesota CBS local! Flatter me some more, and start naming the landlords)
So according to the complaint, this wasn't even the first instance of a drunken fight between the two individuals involved. Me, I'd stop inviting those two to the same drinking party.
Meh. (Shrugging motion)
Joseph Lee Smith didn't escape unscathed, however. When police found him, walking not far away, he was shot in the buttocks and lower right leg. Smith tried to tell a cockamamie story (allegedly) about hearing fireworks and then, OH!!! He was oh-so-mysteriously shot!!! (Had he dialed 911 while walking around SHOT like that? No mention of it in the complaint!)
Smith denied everything to officers, including even KNOWING the people at the party.
Police aren't buying it and neither are prosecutors. Smith is charged with second degree murder.
As for that address where the shooting happened, 3442 Dupont Ave. N. was a boarded up building in 2006 when a dutiful postal worker made a report about the boards being ripped off the front door, a report that later appeared on the Fourth Precinct Task Force Website.
| Address | 3442 DUPONT AVE N | Mr. Wilson came into office and indicated that the house had board off front door and it was open. Also that a side window (north side of house) in the back also had the board taken off of it. He indicated the house has been vacant/boarded for at least 1 and 1/2 years since he started delivering in this area on a temp basis. Sector Lt. sending someone out today to check on it per Ron McConnel. | |
| Inspection | NA | ||
| Market Status | Not on Market | ||
| Neighborhood | McKinley | ||
A business called "Thomas and Barber Waste and Salvage Removal" has been listed at the address by online listing.
And ANOTHER shooting was reported at that address in August of 2009, once again archived on the Fourth Precinct Task Force website, as follows:
SHOOTING- NO TISH at 3442 DUPONT AVE N
| Address | 3442 DUPONT AVE N | Calls for service indicated shooting 8.12.09 6:40:23pm CCN 09-0253509 disposition: ADV-Advised. |
| Inspection | NA | |
| Market Status | Not on Market | |
| Neighborhood | McKinley | |
The property is currently a rental, with the owner listed as Paul Freitag and the taxpayers listed as the same Paul Freitag and Kimberly Freitag of 16325 Hudson Ave. in Lakeville, MN.
As usual, the City of Minneapolis property website is lacking in recent valuation information to show how much was paid for the building in the last sale though old sales from the 80s are listed.
Interestingly, as late as 2012 the rental property contact was Faisal S. Moghul, almost certainly connected to the property empire of the notorious landlord Bashir Moghul. This shooting at this property feels like the long, negative "shadow of Bashir."
Somebody breaks out the cognac, you better GTFO.
ReplyDeleteA top shelf whiskey murder. Thunderbird would have probably fueled this incident also so it doesn't matter. Until we go back to prohibition, the DRINK continues to be the most lethal substance on earth.
ReplyDeleteThat ain't happening. Believe it.
The community should tackle the problem of alcohol abuse and hope that the domino effect takes place.
I am tired of being negative because when I see my Black brother's and sister's killing each other like this i only cringe and pray for the 95 percent of our black community that live peacefully.
I love my whole community and really would like to obliterate the fucked up elements of it.
Just because people raise their children to have no education, ambition, morals or drive isn't the child's fault, it's the parents fault.
ReplyDeleteThen they bitch about those parents who insist their children get all the tools they need and use them to become good productive adults.
There is no excuse. Again, there is no excuse and nobody other than themselves to blame.
U love black on black crime Johnny. Matthew little was stabbed in nomi. Why is this not posted on here"
ReplyDeleteI am getting to Matthew Little. I am simply behind.
ReplyDeleteThe City needs to limit the amount of rentals in neighborhoods. There are just too many rentals. These hood rats don't care where they live and will stay close to where they are comfortable with their criminal behavior. If they get evicted from one home they will just move two doors away to another rental.
ReplyDeleteIt would be interesting to see statistics on police calls and arrests. Break the calls down between owner occupied homes and rentals. Then break the rentals down and look at apartment complexes and single family/duplex rentals.
I would bet that more crime happens in the single family/duplex rentals, followed by apartment complexes, then owner occupied.
Compare the statistics with a high crime grid in North Minneapolis and then a lower crime grid elsewhere in the City. I would bet that they would all look the same.
Make rentals harder to get and maybe the renters will appreciate what they have. The City needs to realize that there are great people here that bust their asses and work hard to make the community a better place. This will not change until rentals are replaced with home owner that have actual ties to the community.
I have lived most of my life in North Minneapolis and would continue living here but the city would rather take my taxes to "help" people that should be helping themselves. The City has no desire to improve the North Side. I would love to put money into my home but it would not be worth it. I would not increase the value of the home because nobody else is trying to increase the value in theirs.
It amazes me that we are so close to Downtown Minneapolis. We have West Broadway, Lowry Ave, and Highway 55 that could bring in a lot of business and taxes to the City. There are major highways all around North Minneapolis with thousands of commuters every day and nobody really comes here to shop. You can follow West Broadway into Robbinsdale and it is thriving with business. The busiest stores on West Broadway are the Liquor Stores and Cub Foods, what a shame.
Instead the City chooses to use my taxes to pay for high crime, poor schooling, Police overtime, court costs, graffiti removal, shot spotters, etc
Shot spotters- I believe cost about $45,000 a year per square mile. Shouldn't a City be looking at the real reason these are needed instead of just putting them up and hoping it helps? This is a generation that elected a president on "hope" instead of responsibility though.
Sorry, just frustrated. This probably wasn't the spot to post this. Think I may just rent out my house and let the income pay for a home in Robbinsdale. I do all of my shopping there anyways. The City wouldn't give a shit.
July 16@ 4:38 doesn't seem to be getting it right. I would say that black's love black on black crime because they are killing each other in record numbers across the country....get your shit straight and quit the blame game.
ReplyDeleteWHY IN THE NAME OF ALL THAT IS HOLY did you put an apostrophe on the word "blacks?" It is NOT possessive but plural in this context. I strongly disapprove of your comment (and not just on the basis of being ignorant of the rules of punctuation) but I am approving it for purposes of vigorous free speech debate.
ReplyDeleteWhat subhumans do in your area (NoMi), is not worth reading about. What are we supposed to do with this information? Is this a call to interfere with some sort of natural order? Fuck you Hoffen! Walk away. Let them be what they are and let the rest of us in the Twin Cities live our own way.
ReplyDeleteAnon@4:38 You are a moron! Perhaps gang members like crime! Ya think?
ReplyDeleteReally, son, you need to quit being so anal on folk's who do not have a degree in English. I do not hear you criticizing the improper Ebonics that these illiterate fucking smut's utilize.
ReplyDeleteHow about some equal opportunity bashing of the individuals who employ their vulgar innuendo's in a most ignorant manner? What are you waiting for, son?
Interesting turn in my googling today - looking up Delonte Ahshone Thomas (charged in the shotting 4th of July weekend of the 3 women), and last year on the jail roster he lived at 3442 Dupont, the house where Cabrie Young just got killed? Coincidence?
ReplyDeleteCabrie is my brother. He was a good person. Never hurt anyone and didn't deserve to die. FYI he wasn't on probation at the time...where did you get this info?
ReplyDeleteWhat's your point in bringing up his record? Okay years ago he sold weed...got locked up in Illinois, got out, came back to Minnesota, got a job, and was enjoying his life. He was always encouraging and helpful, which sadly is what got him killed...helping someone. Please stop smearing the name of people of people who can't defend themselves.
You wanna investigate something? Investigate the fact that the person that "supposedly" shot him was shot himself, but no one knows who shot him...supposedly. Also one of those bastards at 3442 Dupont laid a gun by my brothers dead body, but they weren't smart enough to put his prints on it...also no gun shot residue. He was against guns; never carried or owned one. Investigate the fact that everyone at the bbq on July 4th, 2014 were ALL RELATED except Cabrie & Joseph Lee Smith & his cousin. Everyone is a Powell or Thomas. That family were the only witnesses. Put that together. If you wanna really do some good and report the truth. Write about the truth and stop bashing people who are dead and half ass investigating.
Thank you!