Posted by Nicholas Stix
Thanks to reader-researcher A.L.
The moment I read the first article I knew this was a diversity story. A bunch of youngish thugs taking over a playground, so that the locals and their kids can’t use it, and then having casual fights and shootings, as if it were the most natural thing in the world. The cherry on top, the refusal to publish a photograph of the suspect in custody. If a 24-year-old white guy runs around shooting people in a residential neighborhood—or any neighborhood, for that matter—the media will all publish his mug shot. But no shot of Floyd Frank Ezell Jr. And nothing on Google Images, either! Well, the local ABC affiliate showed Ezell’s mug shot, and he is one ugly black man. I’m hoping that the video below does not auto-engage, but just in case, I’ve also copied and pasted the link to the page with the video. (The auto-engage problem is why I was forced to stop posting news videos.)
As for my black supremacist readers, who will complain, “Every group does that,” no; every group does not do that. Whites and East Asians engage in such crime so rarely that if you bet “black or Hispanic” every time, you’d end up a rich man. That is, if anyone would take your bets. A bookie would give such short odds that the payoff wouldn’t be worth it.
These mopes are also surely—it’s their wont today—gang members, but there was nothing about that, either.
P.S.: "Taylor Gruis, 17," was the other suspect.
(I originally set this up five-and-a-half months ago, but as is so often the case, lost it in a meltdown.)
[Updated, at WEJB/NSU:
“Des Moines Diversity Update: One Shooting Suspect is a Crazy-Looking Black Guy, While the Other Guy is White! Charges Upgraded to Attempted Murder.”]
Link to ABC News video.
ABC5 News Des Moines, IA
Shootings rile south side neighborhood
By Joel Aschbrenner
June 11, 2013, 12:57 A.M.
Des Moines Register
Comments
Basketball rims have been taken off their backboards and bathrooms have [sic] locked and shuttered at Jordan Park — an attempt by neighbors to reclaim control of the south side park.
Following a pair of shootings last week that left one person injured and one house dotted with bullet holes, neighbors say they want to keep people out at night — especially those coming from outside the neighborhood to stir up trouble.
About 75 residents of the South Park neighborhood gathered at Jordan Park Monday evening to hear neighborhood leaders and police talk about their response the shootings.
Police have arrested two people in the shootings and could file charges against a third.
It appears the incident started as a fight at a house party on the west side, police told neighbors who listened from lawn chairs.
The fight was brought to Jordan Park, where a brawl broke out and several shots were fired. A bystander was hit twice and later, in what police called a retaliatory act, a house was shot three times.
Police Chief Judy Bradshaw said it appears more people are coming to the park late at night because it’s secluded, off the main streets and surrounded by back yards on three sides. Since January police have been called to the park 11 times.
“This has been building for a while, if you look at the calls and who has been hanging out at here,” she told the crowd.
The small park is the only green space in the Jordan Park neighborhood. It includes a playground, a basketball court and a wading pool.
Neighbors complained of people doing drugs, kicking younger children off the basketball court and gathering in the park after it closes at dark.
Some said they have seen more people this year from outside the area causing trouble at the park. Others said that has been happening for years.
Police encouraged neighbors to report trouble and said members of the summer enforcement team have made Jordan Park a priority.
Bradshaw said police are familiar with many of the people giving Jordan Park neighbors headaches — they’re the same people causing trouble elsewhere in the city.
“We’re not a suburb of Chicago, where you’re going to get a bunch of brand new people in town and they overrun an area,” she said.
South Park neighborhood association treasurer Jan Good said she thinks the park has experienced more trouble since police cleaned up other parks around the city.
Geneva Armel, 74, who has lived across the street from the park for 53 years, said she was nervous when she heard about the shooting. It’s not something that happens often in the area.
“We’ve seen the park grow,” she said. “I hated to see anything like that happen to it.”
Joel Aschbrenner is a breaking news reporter for the Des Moines Register. He can be reached at jaschbrenn@dmreg.com. @joelaschbrenner.
Nicholas Stix • Top Commenter • Works at Why the hell would I tell you??
How come so few comments [in almost six days]? Methinks the thread Nazis have been working overtime!
2 seconds ago
Joe Fazek • Top Commenter
Knee grows will destroy your city, it's what they do!
June 11 at 4:38pm
Richard Watson • Top Commenter • University of Parris Island
Wait, what? Wasn't Clinton's midnight basketball leagues supposed to be an end to crime? How much (of our) government extorted money was squandered on that nonsense?
June 12 at 1:45pm
Edward Watson • Works at Self Employed and Loving It!
Yeah, that is all that is missing from sinner's criminal mind... lack of late night basketball
June 12 at 2:44pm
Des Moines’ Demographics, Courtesy of the U.S. Census Bureau
White non-Hispanic 70.5
Black 10.2
Non-White Hispanic 9.9
Asian 4.4
Persons reporting two or more races, percent, 2010 3.4
Right. The gangs know when they gather in a group without a reason they can be rousted by the cops for loitering.
ReplyDeleteIf they gather at a basketball court and just shoot baskets all day and gang bang and deal drugs that is congregating for a reason and so these parks are taken over by the gangs.
Or in an alley too they can nail a backboard to a pole and call it a spot for pick up games and have a reason for gathering in a group.
Those people are just so smart!