Morse Avenue Rumble

A Homecoming Dance at Sullivan High School in Chicago's northern Rogers Park neighborhood breeds fighting, bottle throwing and major police action. For a brief time on Friday night, Morse Avenue looked like a battle zone. Crime is down in Rogers Park, people. Unfortunately, this message has not gotten through to the kids at Sullivan High School in Chicago's 49th Ward. On Friday, September 21, a Homecoming Dance at Sullivan ended at 10:00 p.m. The kids were ready to rumble even before they got outside. Perhaps the entertainment was terrible. Perhaps there was too much Remy Martin consumed before and during the dance. Neighbors who live on N. Bosworth, across the street from Sullivan High, told me that the kids came out of the southern exit into the parking lot, and they were cussing and screaming at each other as the doors opened. "You mean, like 'bitch' and 'ho'?" I asked one neighbor. "No, much worse." He added that about 20 CPD units responded to neighbors' calls shortly past 10:00 p.m., and the crowd was quickly dispersed. They scattered, only to recongeal a few blocks north on the 1400 block of Morse Avenue. I was walking west along Morse just past 11:00 p.m. last night. As I passed Morse Fruit & Vegetable grocery, I noticed about 12 young Latino guys standing across the street, in front of the apartment building on the southeast corner of Morse and N. Greenview. They were throwing beer bottles at passing automobiles. One car stopped, then thought better of it and drove off. As this happened, from east of us, a group of about 12 black guys approached. I recognized one of them as a young man I've spoken to many times in the past. His friends did not take to me. "Shit, man, get the fuck outa here. When you gonna pay me my reparations?" As soon as the Egyptians pay reparations to my people. Been waiting 3,000 years, pal, I thought to myself. I rounded the corner and called 911 at 11:35 p .m. Remember that the police were already well aware that Sullivan students were causing trouble; CPD just broke up a big incident an hour before my 911 call. At 11:45 p.m., I locked my bike on N. Glenwood, just off of Morse, and walked toward Morse. It was not until Midnight that the police moved onto Morse en masse. People ran to and fro, confusion ensuing. I did not see anybody get injured, and at this point I am not aware of any arrests. Some of the police pulled a now-classic stunt: Harass the cameraman. This is getting tired. Even while a near-riot was going on all around, several squads decided I was more important. Shining their spotlights at me, they hoped to intimidate me. One cop actually stopped and engaged me in conversation. He "offered" to give me a "police report" but would not specify what the report would be about. I ask you: How the hell can a cop write out a comprehensive report about a major incident, even as it's still happening? Note to our local Commander: Your public relations sucks.