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- Mar 5, 2006
ALTON - Police have released an astonishing video of what appears to be an organized fight between two men that ends with gunfire from a semi-automatic weapon.
The video, which drug unit detectives recovered while investigating the shooting of Ryan Hollis North, 19, of the 500 block of Porter Street in Alton, led totwo brothers being charged Tuesday with two Class X felonies.
Police say they believe the woman who shot the video organized the fight to settle a feud between the two men on Sunday.
The Madison County State's Attorney's Office charged Bryon D. Blake, 17, and Byron E. Blake, 21, both of the 1200 block of Surrey Court in Godfrey,with armed violence and aggravated battery with a firearm.
Judge Richard Tognarelli ordered the men jailed without bond.
Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan on Tuesday morning released a DVD copy of the fight, which was taken Sunday morning outside a residence in the 1500 block ofMack Street.
Police identified the woman who lives at the house as L'Tanya M. Smith and say she is the one who recorded the fight on a video camera. Her voice isaudible on camera throughout the incident.
"Fight one-on-one, this is fair," the woman says at beginning of the video. "Just fight. Everybody's got anger here."
The two young men struggle with each other, one appearing to take a dominant stance as they wrestle each other to the ground and then exchange blows.
As the recording continues, other men can be seen crowding in toward the battlers. Then, in a shocking turn of events, the camera shows a young man holding along-barreled handgun that police say is a Mac-10 semi-automatic machine pistol, similar in appearance to an Uzi.
Another man standing by the door of the house also can be seen holding a silver pistol, whom police say is North, the victim of the shooting.
"What are you doing?" the woman yells. "No, no guns! Put that up! Get in the house. Why is this thing happening like this, it's not supposedto happen!"
She repeats "No guns" several times.
A shot rings out and the video abruptly ends. It lasts one minute and 48 seconds.
Lt. David Hayes, chief of detectives at the Alton Police Department, identified one of the fighters as Byron E. Blake, whose street name is "LittleHavoc." Blake appeared to have the advantage in the face-off.
The other man in the fight is identified as Darius A. "Little Chicago" Hammonds, with whom Blake was feuding. Hammonds, police said, told them he hadgotten a swollen left side of his face from falling down while fleeing gunfire.
Smith, whom police said is North's 33-year-old sister, then drove North to the Alton Memorial Hospital emergency room for treatment. She allegedly had toldpolice on Sunday that she was sleeping when the gunfire erupted.
North was treated for two "superficial" back wounds at each shoulder blade and released. Police took him into custody because he was wanted on awarrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of making an improper turn.
Hayes said North was fortunate to suffer minor wounds from the gunfire, as Mac-10's use .45-caliber bullets. Police also recovered shell casings in theMack Street yard from a .40-caliber firearm. There was a bullet hole in the window and siding of the house.
He said Smith organized the fight so Byron Blake, who was wearing gray clothing in the video, and Hammonds could settle a long-standing conflict. Policebelieve 11 people eventually were at the fight.
On Monday, police searched the Blakes' apartment and that of Byron Blake's girlfriend in the 3200 block of Belle Street in the privately owned BelleManor apartment complex, looking for the Mac-10.
A copy of the search warrant indicates detectives found a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun; a .45-caliber Mac-10 handgun with a clipcontaining ammunition; a box with 32 rounds of Winchester brand, 38-special live ammunition; a carrying bag; black ski mask; black doo-rag and plastic wiretie.
Sullivan had said Monday that police were having difficulty solving the shooting because no one would cooperate.
Hayes said the tape solved the case.
"There was no cooperation until we learned a videotape existed," Hayes said. "Once we procured it, we identified the people and they could notcontinue to lie" to police.
After the shooting, police say Smith consented to a search of her home, where they confiscated more than 7 grams of crack cocaine; a plastic bag with more than8 grams of cannabis; and two other packages containing cannabis.
Police also said an 18-year-old man at the scene gave permission for them to search his mother's Ford Expedition that he had been driving. Police said theyfound 53 grams of cannabis in the SUV glovebox.
Authorities have not filed any drug charges related to Sunday's incident, but Sullivan said the case may end up being taken to the grand jury, which coulddecide if more charges will be filed.
Hayes said the reason authorities charged Bryon "Momo" Blake with the offenses is that he allegedly had handed off the Mac-10 to his brother Byron,who police say fired the shots. That action is not recorded on the video.
Link to vid:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155236442/bclid1155106981/bctid1529520113
......Dude whooped him fair & square, there was no need for all of that.
The video, which drug unit detectives recovered while investigating the shooting of Ryan Hollis North, 19, of the 500 block of Porter Street in Alton, led totwo brothers being charged Tuesday with two Class X felonies.
Police say they believe the woman who shot the video organized the fight to settle a feud between the two men on Sunday.
The Madison County State's Attorney's Office charged Bryon D. Blake, 17, and Byron E. Blake, 21, both of the 1200 block of Surrey Court in Godfrey,with armed violence and aggravated battery with a firearm.
Judge Richard Tognarelli ordered the men jailed without bond.
Alton Police Chief Chris Sullivan on Tuesday morning released a DVD copy of the fight, which was taken Sunday morning outside a residence in the 1500 block ofMack Street.
Police identified the woman who lives at the house as L'Tanya M. Smith and say she is the one who recorded the fight on a video camera. Her voice isaudible on camera throughout the incident.
"Fight one-on-one, this is fair," the woman says at beginning of the video. "Just fight. Everybody's got anger here."
The two young men struggle with each other, one appearing to take a dominant stance as they wrestle each other to the ground and then exchange blows.
As the recording continues, other men can be seen crowding in toward the battlers. Then, in a shocking turn of events, the camera shows a young man holding along-barreled handgun that police say is a Mac-10 semi-automatic machine pistol, similar in appearance to an Uzi.
Another man standing by the door of the house also can be seen holding a silver pistol, whom police say is North, the victim of the shooting.
"What are you doing?" the woman yells. "No, no guns! Put that up! Get in the house. Why is this thing happening like this, it's not supposedto happen!"
She repeats "No guns" several times.
A shot rings out and the video abruptly ends. It lasts one minute and 48 seconds.
Lt. David Hayes, chief of detectives at the Alton Police Department, identified one of the fighters as Byron E. Blake, whose street name is "LittleHavoc." Blake appeared to have the advantage in the face-off.
The other man in the fight is identified as Darius A. "Little Chicago" Hammonds, with whom Blake was feuding. Hammonds, police said, told them he hadgotten a swollen left side of his face from falling down while fleeing gunfire.
Smith, whom police said is North's 33-year-old sister, then drove North to the Alton Memorial Hospital emergency room for treatment. She allegedly had toldpolice on Sunday that she was sleeping when the gunfire erupted.
North was treated for two "superficial" back wounds at each shoulder blade and released. Police took him into custody because he was wanted on awarrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of making an improper turn.
Hayes said North was fortunate to suffer minor wounds from the gunfire, as Mac-10's use .45-caliber bullets. Police also recovered shell casings in theMack Street yard from a .40-caliber firearm. There was a bullet hole in the window and siding of the house.
He said Smith organized the fight so Byron Blake, who was wearing gray clothing in the video, and Hammonds could settle a long-standing conflict. Policebelieve 11 people eventually were at the fight.
On Monday, police searched the Blakes' apartment and that of Byron Blake's girlfriend in the 3200 block of Belle Street in the privately owned BelleManor apartment complex, looking for the Mac-10.
A copy of the search warrant indicates detectives found a .40-caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handgun; a .45-caliber Mac-10 handgun with a clipcontaining ammunition; a box with 32 rounds of Winchester brand, 38-special live ammunition; a carrying bag; black ski mask; black doo-rag and plastic wiretie.
Sullivan had said Monday that police were having difficulty solving the shooting because no one would cooperate.
Hayes said the tape solved the case.
"There was no cooperation until we learned a videotape existed," Hayes said. "Once we procured it, we identified the people and they could notcontinue to lie" to police.
After the shooting, police say Smith consented to a search of her home, where they confiscated more than 7 grams of crack cocaine; a plastic bag with more than8 grams of cannabis; and two other packages containing cannabis.
Police also said an 18-year-old man at the scene gave permission for them to search his mother's Ford Expedition that he had been driving. Police said theyfound 53 grams of cannabis in the SUV glovebox.
Authorities have not filed any drug charges related to Sunday's incident, but Sullivan said the case may end up being taken to the grand jury, which coulddecide if more charges will be filed.
Hayes said the reason authorities charged Bryon "Momo" Blake with the offenses is that he allegedly had handed off the Mac-10 to his brother Byron,who police say fired the shots. That action is not recorded on the video.
Link to vid:
http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1155236442/bclid1155106981/bctid1529520113
