David Wanless

TOWER— A recently resigned member of the Tower City Council is raising questions about the safety of the community in a scathing resignation letter he provided to city officials last month.
The letter, from David Wanless, came in the form of a lengthy email addressed to Mayor Dave Setterberg and Clerk-Treasurer Michael Schultz on March 18. The letter was not included in the city council packet at the council’s April 15 meeting but was provided by city officials to the Timberjay upon request.
Wanless, who moved to Tower in 2023 and won election to the council on a write-in last November, has repeatedly complained about threatening words and actions by a resident in his S. Second Street neighborhood who has had altercations with numerous other residents of the community.
The individual, Adam Norgren, has been known in the community for years as volatile. His regular outbursts and threats towards others in the community have left many fearful of confronting him over his behavior.
“It is with great sadness and disappointment that daily and nightly harassment from a very troubled individual known well to city officials and the police chief, interferes with my new role as city councilman and as a private resident of this city,” Wanless wrote in his resignation announcement. “This seemingly tolerated behavior as well as other identified and long ignored city public safety issues, renders it impossible to continue to live here with any piece (sic) of mind and degree of safety.”
Wanless said he and his partner Laura Garofalo have opted to rent a home outside of town to escape Norgren’s threatening behavior.
The couple lost their two-car garage and both vehicles and other equipment in a suspicious garage fire that Wanless is convinced was an act of arson by his troubled neighbor. The couple is planning to rebuild the garage, sell the property, and move outside of town.
Wanless said he believes that the lack of law enforcement action against Norgren has encouraged his threatening behavior.
“Even our chief of police allows himself to be subject to the most foul and unacceptable language and behavior, and will not act on it and passes it as ‘just the way he is known’ around the city and he is ‘used to it.’”
“While on my very short term on the city council, numerous residents have approached me and informed me of their own constant fear of this individual and how they will not speak out because of verbal and physical retaliation, as they themselves and their property may become the subject to the same harassment and property damage we have endured,” wrote Wanless.  “Two life long residences (sic) have also told us in the near future they will consider putting their lifelong homes up for sale and move from the City of Tower, also because of fear of this individual and current public safety issues that have been identified.”
On occasion, Norgren’s outbursts have been directed at the city itself. According to Mayor Dave Setterberg, Norgren was prosecuted recently after he threw a large rock at the city’s loader, although Setterberg was uncertain about the final disposition of the case and there is no record of the prosecution in the state’s online court records.
There have been other incidents as well. Back in 2020, city officials locked the doors at city hall out of concern after Norgren became enraged over unwanted alley maintenance behind his residence. “In another incident where the act did not rise to the level of a criminal act, we verbally told him it was not acceptable behavior and it would not be tolerated,” said Setterberg.
While Setterberg said he can try to understand Wanless’s feelings about his experiences with his neighbor, in the end, he contends that the city’s ability to take action is somewhat limited. “The city can only take action on acts that violate the law against the city which we have done. We have contacted our city attorney on what actions are available to us. At the end of the day, we rely on our police to act and act within their legal bounds.”
Differing approaches
Wanless, who came to Tower from Florida, has touted the “stand your ground” law in that state that would have allowed him to deal permanently with an aggressive individual like Norgren. Such laws allow individuals to avoid prosecution for homicide by more easily citing self-defense as justification for shooting someone in public spaces. Under current law in Minnesota and many other states, individuals have a duty to withdraw when confronted by a hostile individual. A number of studies have shown that states that enact stand-your-ground laws can expect to see an increase in homicides. A study on the open network of the Journal of the American Medical Association, found an average increase in homicides of between 8-11 percent.
Breitung Police Chief Dan Reing, who serves Tower under contract, said his department is focused on community-centered approaches, rather than confrontation. “As your Police Chief, my goal is to ensure that the Breitung Police Department is not just a department that enforces laws, but is also a trusted partner in the community,” said Reing. “We will focus on being transparent, accountable, and respectful in every interaction we have… I am committed to ensuring that we provide a safe environment for all citizens while protecting their rights. We will maintain a strong focus on constitutional policing.”
Reing also cited his efforts to openly communicate on cases and incidents as they occur and that the department is working to meet high ethical standards and to find ways to reduce conflict in the community. “My department will continue to prioritize de-escalation tactics and equip officers with the tools they need to handle challenging situations without resorting to force whenever possible,” Reing said in a statement.
Rather, Reing said he was focused on ensuring a proper response to those in crisis. “In situations involving individuals with mental health issues or substance abuse problems, we will be partnering with specialized services when needed,” he said.
Reing said recent allegations and social media posts suggesting that the Breitung Police Department is failing to act or enforce the law “are false or grossly misrepresented.”
Wanless, meanwhile said he is hopeful that the city will take more decisive action to address the disturbance to the community’s peace and sense of security posed by his neighbor.
“Laura’s and my hope is this action if finally taken will make this a city where people want to peacefully live, retire, get involved civically, and be part of the community,” he said.
Reing said he could not comment on the garage fire at the Wanless-Garofalo residence, noting that it remained an active investigation.