Huckleberries Online

Spoke: Anyone notice a broken window at Tito’s?

Posted by Cindy

Dec. 28, 2009 3:11 p.m. • 31 comments

The CDA press offers a few additional details.

Spokelooneh says “The witness also said Johnson was thrown through a window at Tito Macaroni’s. Anybody notice if that window was broken or boarded up, or notice it getting replaced?” Full comment.

Well?

31 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

IdahoDad on December 28 at 3:20 p.m.
I drove down Sherman two hours ago and didn’t see any sign of a broken or boarded up window. But I looked quickly so as not to wreck my car.
Sisyphus on December 28 at 3:31 p.m.
“We were closing down and I heard the first shot,” said Justin Pratt, an employee of the Coeur d’Alene Eagles club. “I got a gut feeling, and peeked around the corner and heard four more shots.”

He saw the suspect throw the weapon onto the roof of Tito Macaroni’s, and when he looked out he saw a crowd of 20 to 25 people kicking and punching Johnson, who was also reportedly pushed head-long through a window at the restaurant.

–––––––––––-

The witness is avowedly biased and his account makes little sense. Why would the suspect toss the gun when faced with an angry crowd? What lapse of time took place from when he saw the suspect throw the weapon to “when he looked out” to observe him getting kicked and beaten? Did the witness change vantage points? Does that mean his original vantage wasn’t very good and he may not have seen the suspect throwing the gun? Was the first shot a warning shot? Why one shot, then four, then him throwing the gun on a roof?
Sisyphus on December 28 at 3:33 p.m.
“peeked around the corner and heard four more shots.”—this is odd too. Did he see the shots fired? Or did he just hear them?
Joker on December 28 at 3:34 p.m.
I read about a broken windown on facebook. It must be true. Nobody would ever make stuff up on facebook, post it, and then wait for the media to report it as fact.

I’d never get 10 of my friends to write about the broken window on their facebook accounts. Nope, facebook is a fountain of truth and knowledge.
spokelooneh on December 28 at 3:36 p.m.
Tossing the gun is puzzling, Sis, can you think of any reason the police would or would not confirm where the weapon was found?
hmoffsuite on December 28 at 3:41 p.m.
Having been a downtown merchant for some time, and for 10 years next to Mic and Macs, I know all about broken windows downtown. I used to get a call about 3am and by 9am, the large window would have been replaced. Did that drill a few times and that was one of the reasons we moved our business north.
poolman on December 28 at 3:41 p.m.
Great analysis Sys.

I would think being forced through a large window would have been a significant (and obvious) enough event to make the initial police report. This story is getting weirder by the minute.
Sisyphus on December 28 at 3:41 p.m.
Absolutely. Sorting the wheat from the chaff. Those who know where it was found would be more likely to be credible witnesses.
spokelooneh on December 28 at 3:45 p.m.
Joker, FWIW , the Mess reporter appears to be directly quoting a man, by name, claiming to be a witness to the events, and I’d assume the reporter would verify with the Eagles club mgt. that the guy was an employee there and working at the time of the shooting.
eagleeye on December 28 at 3:51 p.m.
The CDA Press account of Johnson being thrown thru the window is false. There was a bullet hole in the window. How can get a reporter get something so wrong?

How did a bullet pierce a window across the street from the incident? Another interesting twist.
Sam on December 28 at 3:54 p.m.
Isn’t the Coeur d’Alene Press Office close to that restaurant? I suppose the reporter could have gotten up from their chair and walked over to confirm whether or not this occurred. Could have called the restaurant too, yes? And couldn’t they have called Sgt. Wood to see if it was true the alleged shooter allegedly threw their weapon on top of a building? None of that is in this article, and they’re late on it anyway. Seems like they could have taken time to shore up the story.
Joker on December 28 at 3:55 p.m.
@spoke, you assume a lot. Did the shooter really toss the gun on the roof? Where’s the verficiation from the police? Did they recover the weapon?

The guy admits to being a friend of the victim. He would never lie to protect his friend. Nope, it would never happen.
Cindy_H on December 28 at 3:57 p.m.
@Sam, I had the same questions. Glad you raised them.
Sisyphus on December 28 at 3:59 p.m.
Do tell Eagle Eye. Where from street level did the bullet pierce? Was it high like a guy shooting from the ground? How far away from the incident was it? If it went across the street, I would think it came from a guy who wasn’t shooting up towards his assailant who had knocked him down. Knee capping the one guy though strikes me as someone who was shooting to maim or aiming up. I’m still confused as to the proximity of the parties when the shooting began.
Joker on December 28 at 4:02 p.m.
Is there a grassy knoll in this tale?
hmoffsuite on December 28 at 4:06 p.m.
Sis. Now it sounds like you changed channels and are now on Forensic Files.
eagleeye on December 28 at 4:26 p.m.
Sis,
Titos is across the street from the incident. Probably 75 to 100 ft away.Not sure how high the bullet hole was off the ground.. It was not the shooter who threw the gun on the roof of Titos. It was a bystander.
Sisyphus on December 28 at 4:32 p.m.
Thanks for the focus, eagle eye. That makes more sense. Except for the sequence of events provided by the Press.
Joker on December 28 at 4:35 p.m.
Ok, faceboogers

Can you find out what started the verbal confrontation?

Is there a security camera recording of the incident?

What’s the medical condition of the victim?

Did victims have any criminal records?

Will anybody in the crowd face any charges for all those bruises on the suspect?

How many of the “witnesses” were from Moses Lake and had connections with the victims?
spokelooneh on December 28 at 4:40 p.m.
Joker, I’m just saying the account of the shooter tossing the gun and getting thrown through a window was not taken from some unknown FB poster, but from an actual person who is named and that his whereabouts at the time of the shooting could and would assume was verified by the reporter. I SAID when I first mentioned it the guy was a friend of one of the victims thus could be suspect, I just find it odd if his account is completely made up and easy to check with other witnesses the guy would just lie so brazenly. You would think he’d have given a statement to the police as well. I’m not assuming his account is true.

I see this as a pretty damn major case, partially yes because it involves a fairly prominent local businessman.

“Sisyphus on December 28 at 3:41 p.m.

Absolutely. Sorting the wheat from the chaff. Those who know where it was found would be more likely to be credible witnesses”

Excellent point, thanks for that insight..
spokelooneh on December 28 at 4:45 p.m.
“It was not the shooter who threw the gun on the roof of Titos. It was a bystander.”
-eagleye

What is the source for that information?
Bent on December 28 at 4:50 p.m.
Joker on December 28 at 4:35 p.m.

Joker we answered alll thpose questions yesterday…go back and read…
Joker on December 28 at 4:56 p.m.
I guess I will have to do that. I was busy watching old movies on my VCR yesterday.

Why can’t one of you do that for me. I need somebody to compile all the information in a clear and concise way. Kinda like what the SR used to have before most of their great reporters were all sent packing. I don’t want to work that hard!
marmitetoasty on December 28 at 4:57 p.m.
This is like reading an Agatha Christie Novel..

x
spokelooneh on December 28 at 5:00 p.m.
One clarification, the Eagles Club guy is not sourced by the Mess as saying Johnson was pushed through a window.

“He saw the suspect throw the weapon onto the roof of Tito Macaroni’s, and when he looked out he saw a crowd of 20 to 25 people kicking and punching Johnson, who was also *reportedly* pushed head-long through a window at the restaurant.”

So a bystander threw the gun up on top of Tito’s, from 75-100 feet away? How tall is that building?

That’s quite the throw!
poolman on December 28 at 5:15 p.m.
The last time I ate at Tito’s I wanted to throw the Chef through a window :)
Don_Sausser on December 28 at 7:45 p.m.
Geez, Megan is working on it. Why don’t you guys wait for her findings???
spokelooneh on December 28 at 8:09 p.m.
“Meghann Cuniff on Joker: Reporters are like VCR’s on December 28 at 5:48 p.m.

Here’s a quick update on the facts of the story:

http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2009…

I just got the complete (93-page) police report and will be piecing together a story, to include interviews with family and friends of both the suspect and victims, tonight after I read it. I’ll post a link when it’s ready.”

Please note, Don, that the last comment on this thread before your strange appeal WAS BEFORE MEGHANN said that additional information was forthcoming.

Can’t you understand that? It’s not that hard.
Don_Sausser on December 28 at 8:53 p.m.
@Spoke, “Can’t you understand that? It’s not that hard.”

That sounds awfully sarcastic (yep I understood that). But the jabboring has been going on since the incident happened while knowing that the facts will be uncovered soon.

And, you see, I’m not on HBO all day as you are, just picked it up and read it awhile ago.

Sorry it got under your skin.
Don_Sausser on December 28 at 8:57 p.m.
At 08:00 this morning I had coffee at the Starbucks in Titos. The lady janitor indicated that she swept up some glass outdoors. I didn’t inquire but by “swept up” it must have not been caused by a body going through it.
JIMMYMAC on December 28 at 10:11 p.m.
It was a bullet hole, no more no less. One of my friends at the resort had to check into it very early this morning.

« Back to Huckleberries Online

You must be logged in to post comments.
Please create a profile or log in here.

About this blog

D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.