Oddly compelling video - the ease with which seemingly solid, massive things fall! TV would've never had the time to show the surprisingly speedy relentlessness of the "big yellow machine." Paradoxically, it was the months-long relentlessness of James that gave emotional depth to what otherwise would be just another house-chewing. Thanks for opening a window on a part of Minneapolis poorly understood - and thanks to all the non-tendentious commentators.

The house served its purpose for a many, many years. But buildings far less old get torn down all the time. It isn't historic just because it's old.

The place was ugly and flimsy. A new (better) home will be built and will generate more taxes for the county.

Unfortunately, I doubt it will help the neighborhood improve one bit.

Beware! When it's finished with the house it's coming for you! Yes, you, Sarah Connor.

This message brought to you by All-Metro Excavating, a subsidiary of Cyberdyne.

I've got one more story to tell about this house. Stay tuned.

In the "olden days" (late 80's) they just drove right through the front door with a front-end loader (see archived article, below). Occasionally, they even got the right house... ;-)

Police not liable for damage to building in drug raid, court rules

Published: January 21, 1992
Section: NEWS
Page#: 01B

By Kevin Duchschere; Staff Writer

Minneapolis police officers who used a front-end loader to break into a suspected crack house cannot be held liable for damage to the building, the Minnesota Court of Appeals ruled in a decision to be released today.

But the three-judge panel, relying on a Minnesota Supreme Court decision made last month, also said that if the building's owners had nothing to do with the drug business going on there, the city of Minneapolis must pay them for the damage.

The case will be returned to Hennepin County District Court to determine whether the owners were innocent third parties. Their attorney, R. James Jensen Jr., said yesterday that the city already has conceded that point in sworn depositions.

The city's attorney, Gail Lynn Langfield-Seiberlich, declined to comment.

On Jan. 18 and Jan. 26, 1988, Minneapolis police conducted "no-knock" searches of a suspected crack-cocaine house at 2218 Golden Valley Rd. Because they believed the building to be heavily fortified, they used a front-end loader to break in through a wall one time, and a window on the second raid. The raids resulted in the

arrest of five suspects as well as drugs and money.

The co-owners of the two-story brick apartment building, James McGovern of Dellwood and Dennis Hansen of St. Paul, sued the city for about $200,000 for damage to the building, lost rental income and legal fees. After a Hennepin County district judge refused the city's request for summary judgment against the owners, the city appealed.

The Appeals Court said the police officers involved were entitled to immunity from liability since they had acted responsibly and without malice.

"Because of the fortress-like condition of the premises, the likely presence of weapons, and the need to safeguard the lives of officers, suspects, and any bystanders, exigent circumstances justified the mode of entry chosen by the officers. . . . The form of entry becomes a question of common sense and judgment, and here good judgment was used," wrote Judge R.A. (Jim) Randall.

However, he added that fairness requires the city to pay McGovern and Hansen damages if they were not involved in the drug trafficking at their building.

He based that decision on a ruling last month by the Minnesota Supreme Court, which said that damaging a private home to apprehend a dangerous felon is "a public use" for which the state Constitution requires a municipality to compensate the owner.

That case stemmed from a 1986 incident in northeast Minneapolis, where police fired at least 25 rounds of tear gas into a house to flush out a suspected drug dealer, who had holed up there to escape them.

The Supreme Court ruled that the city of Minneapolis must pay the house's owner, an elderly woman, for the damage that police caused to her home.

everything David said (because I couldn't have said it better myself). Thanks for this, James. A small nugget of proof that there are great storytellers still working at the Strib.

Was that a garden hose being employed to control the dust from the tear down? The puny flow of the garden hose is quite the contrast to the power of the "big yellow machine". I will refrain from going into the Freudian psychoanalysis.

The hose looked small to me too, but it actually did a good job controlling the dust. When both backhoes were working, with no one spraying the debris, you could barely see anything for the clouds of dust.

Matty spotted the same thing, where something interesting may reside. I would consider taking down the video, personal opinion, but that rickety building was not dropped into it's own footprint, a sloppy trackhoe operator allowed it to get away from him. That's what those are. They are called 'trackhoes with thumbs.' They are using a garden hose, a very low-bid approach. It looked mostly OK to me, and I agree that the garden hose was able to catch up. What I would want to see is the NESHAPs notification, possibly two separate notices.

I skimmed through several stanzas, but not all, and may have missed it if that was already looked at. Relevant to the demo, only.

As to the structure, the video looks as if somebody clad a wood-frame/German siding building in vinyl siding. A homeowner put somewhat moist wood in a plastic bag and composted it. That was the person that doomed that building.

This is the end
Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end

Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
Ill never look into your eyes...again

Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need...of some...strangers hand
In a...desperate land

(video reminded me of this song)

What interests us primarily in this is the question whether quantum mechanics has, as has often been said, given up the perceptibility of the description of nature, and the causal principle.