The secret History of the 11th Ward Primary Aldermanic Elections

Lexis Nexis Bridgeport Tales

Chicago Daily Herald January 12, 2007 Friday Lake Edition; Cook Edition; F1 Edition; F2 Edition; McHenry Edition 'He's got a gun!' A dispute over 'dirty beer' and a bar manager's efforts lead ultimately to a fatal exchange BYLINE: Tony Gordon and Lee Filas, Daily Herald Staff Writers SECTION: NEWS; Pg. 1 LENGTH: 833 words Robert W. Norden had been at the bar about 3 1/2 hours and was drunk when he started to get testy, officials said Thursday. What began as an argument with a bartender at The Bridgeport Inn, 42411 N. Converse Road, ended as a shooting with police. Lake County Sheriff Mark Curran said the 56-year-old Trevor, Wis., man shot at deputies from the doorway area of the tavern and died from two fatal gunshot wounds to the chest when police returned fire. Norden, who was divorced and unemployed, had prior brushes with the law in Wisconsin - two drunken-driving convictions since 2002 and a third pending case - but friends and neighbors said he was quiet and never violent. Sheriff's deputies were called to the scene after Norden had been told to leave the tavern because of his behavior, went to his pickup truck, grabbed a gun and walked back inside. Curran said Norden had complained a draft beer he had been served was "dirty," but refused the bartender's offer of a bottle of the same brand. When Norden, who had been in the bar since about 1 p.m., made a similar complaint to one of the two other patrons around 4:30 p.m., he was again offered a bottle. "At that point he became agitated, shouted some profanities and threw his beer on the bartender," Undersheriff Charles Fagan said. "It was at that point he was told to leave." One of the two other patrons in the bar - a man and a woman - watched Norden walk to his truck and remove an eight-shot, .22- caliber revolver. "At that point, the man shouted, 'He's got a gun,' and ran out of the establishment with another man who was behind the bar," Fagan said. "Two women - one patron and one bartender - were still inside when the offender came in." One woman ran to a walk-in cooler behind the bar, Fagan said, while the other retreated to a bathroom. The sheriff's dispatch center received the first call for help at 4:36 p.m., followed shortly by a call police believe was placed by Norden. "He said something to the effect that there is a nutcase in a bar with a gun," Fagan said. "He said he had six people in a cooler and did not want to hurt anyone." Charlie Stenseth, manager and son of owner Linda Stenseth, said he placed the first call to the dispatch center shortly before confronting Norden in the parking lot. Stenseth said Norden, a semi-regular at the tavern who answered to the name of "Trapper Bob," was leaving his truck with the gun in hand when the manager caught up with him. "I told him to leave before the cops came," Stenseth said. "He said the cops were already called and he isn't leaving." Stenseth said he continued to ask the clearly intoxicated Norden to "just leave." "He told me to get away from him," Stenseth said. "So I told him I was going into the bar, and he said, 'If you go in that bar, I'll shoot you.' " Stenseth said Norden ran into the bar moments before police arrived. Three deputies, two of them off duty but in the area, responded and were joined by four others, Fagan said. Through a window, they saw Norden pacing, Curran said. The deputies used a loudspeaker on a squad car to repeatedly tell him to put down the gun and come out with his hands up. Instead, Norden came to the door and opened fire, prompting three deputies to fire a total of 12 rounds in response. Curran said it is unknown how many shots Norden fired at officers. There were eight bullet holes in the building's brick wall near where Norden was standing when he was shot. Stenseth, who viewed the exchange between police and Norden, said the gunman fired one shot at officers before deputies opened fire. "(Officers) told him to drop the gun, but he raised it and fired at them," he said. "Then, they opened up and took him down." One deputy suffered a bruise to his leg that police do not believe was caused by a bullet. Another was treated briefly at Condell Medical Center in Libertyville for blood pressure-related problems. Curran said the three deputies who fired on Norden "are taking a few days off," while the other four at the scene declined any leave. Coroner Richard Keller said the two fatal wounds Norden suffered were his only injuries. He had a blood-alcohol level of .21, nearly three times the legal threshold of .08. Curran praised the conduct of the deputies who confronted Norden. "I have talked with members of the major crimes task force (which is investigating the shooting), and they told me all the witnesses said the offender opened fire first," Curran said. "There is no doubt in my mind our deputies acted heroically and that there will be no problem with the investigation." Deputy State's Attorney Jeff Pavletic said it is standard procedure for the task force, made up of officers from several departments, to investigate police shootings. He said detectives are still interviewing witnesses and will report to him on their findings, at which point a ruling will be made on the justification for the shooting. tgordon@dailyherald.com lfilas@dailyherald.com - Daily Herald staff writer Corrinne Hess contributed to this report.

Event Pick of the Day--Hypnotique Brass Ensemble at Taste--Free

HOLLA-

Phil Cohran (of AACM and Sun Ra, get with it) is jazz and he has 8 sons that are also probably jazz.

The 8 sons play as Hypnotic Brass Ensemble free tonight at Taste of Chicago in Grant Park. Here's hoping going downtown isn't a shit show.

FREE YA'LLS. 6:30. Grant Park.

Details after jump:

James Balcer's Last Day, 11th Ward Inauguration, and Mayor's Day of Service

A call to the ward office...May 15, 4:02 PM


"Is today Alderman Balcer's last day or Monday?"

"Today."

"Is he around?"

(small laugh.) "No, he's not around. You can leave a message."

"Will he get it?"

"I don't know if he'll get it. He's retired."

(muttered.) "So he's not going to respond to my other messages?"


It is with small fanfare and an early Friday that 11th Ward Alderman for 17 years,  James Balcer, takes his leave of the office.

Perhaps there were others, but I believe I witnessed Alderman Balcer's retirement speech at the Bubbly Creek restoration meeting at the Daley Library a few weeks ago.

Hopefully new Bridgeport radio station...WLPN will get an interview with Balcer. 

But in the meantime, this weekend is RAHM EMANUEL PRESENTS TM: Inauguration Weekend.

Including: Ward Cleanup Events at UnGodly Hours TM--help clean the viaduct at 1800 S Union. 

Hope they provide some gas masks...try not get Cryptococcosis. I can't make it but I'd like to know how one "cleans" a viaduct? Pressure washers and bleach? 

And don't forget, incoming Alderman Thompson will be sworn in this Monday at the Chicago Theater.  Guests only, hope you got your ticket already.  

And I guess ward office hours will start right after the ceremony ends at 12:30?

 Start practicing your pothole grievances in the mirror. 

"It's two-three inches deep!" 

WEATHER REPORT---BRIDGEPORT AREA CODE 60608--- MAY 11TH

Don't forget...come learn about Bubbly Creek Restoration today at 6 at the Daley Library...

Army Corp of Engineers will be available to answer your questions...check out the report
http://www.lrc.usace.army.mil/Portals/36/docs/projects/bubblycreek/Bubbly_Creek_NEPA%20public%20comment%20report_14%20Apr%202015.pdf

Maybe they will have a sample of this hybrid fish ft. in the report.

Public Meeting Thursday at Daley Library about FIXING BUBBLY CREEK

The Army Corps of Engineers has released a proposal to revamp Bubbly Creek.

Check out DNA Info's summary, read the proposal yourself, or wait for the Bridgeport International to summarize the meeting.


MEETING: THURSDAY AT 6PM---DALEY LIBRARY (OR BRIDGEPORT PUBLIC LIBRARY AS DNA INFO CALLS IT...SMH)---3400 S HALSTED ST.