September 1, 2005 -- NEW ORLEANS — Mayor Ray Nagin ordered 1,500 police officers to leave their search-and-rescue mission last night and return to the streets to stop looting that has turned increasingly hostile as the city plunges deeper into chaos.
"They are starting to get closer to heavily populated areas — hotels, hospitals — and we're going to stop it right now," Nagin said.
The number of officers called off the search-and-rescue mission amounts to virtually the entire police force in New Orleans.
The out-of-control thievery had escalated while cops joined National Guardsmen in focusing on saving lives.
In some cases, New Orleans police officers took part in the looting. One cop was seen carting off a computer and a 27-inch flat-screen TV, according to the New Orleans Times-Picayune.
Earlier yesterday, Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blan- co said she has asked the White House to send more people to help with evacuations and rescues, thereby freeing up National Guardsmen to stop looters.
The looting got worse as people brazenly ran- sacked stores for food, beer, clothing, appliances — and guns.
There have been some citizen-vs.-criminal standoffs, with one shopkeeper posting an ominous sign: "You loot, I shoot."
"Once we get the 3,000 National Guardsmen here, we're locking this place down," Nagin said earlier in the day, before returning his cops to crime-fighting.
Amid the chaos yesterday, thieves commandeered a forklift and used it to push up the storm shutters and break the glass of a pharmacy. Looters also chased down a state police truck full of food.
Meanwhile, city officials themselves were commandeering equipment from a looted Office Depot. During a state of emergency, authorities have broad powers to take private supplies and buildings for their use.
At one store, hordes of people of all ages, races and walks of life grabbed food and water. Some drove away with trunkloads of beer.
At one point, two officers drew their guns on the looters, but the thieves left without incident. One of the officers said he is not going to arrest anyone for taking food and water.
One young man was seen wading through chest-deep floodwater, carrying a case of soda, after looting a grocery store.
John Matessino, president of the Louisiana Hospital Association, said he had not heard of anyone breaking into hospitals, but he added that thieves got into the parking garage at one hospital and were stealing car batteries and stereos.
Officials tried to balance security needs with saving lives.
"We're multitasking right now," said New Orleans Police Capt. Marlon Defillo. "Rescue, recovery, stabilization of looting — we're trying to feed the hungry."
They city's homeland-security chief, Terry Ebbert, said looters were breaking into stores all over town and stealing guns. He said there are gangs of armed men moving around the city.
The Times-Picayune reported that the gun section at a new Wal-Mart had been cleaned out by looters.
Authorities said an officer was shot in the head and a looter was wounded in a shootout. Both were expected to survive.
Dozens of carjackings were reported overnight, police said, and at one point, looters fired at a rescue helicopter, forcing it to abandon evacuating patients from a hospital.
In Biloxi, Miss., looters picked through casinos, tearing apart slot machines as they searched for loose change.
ON GUARD: A rifle-toting cop keeps watch in downtown New Orleans yesterday amid the lawless chaos, as police mostly shooed away thieves without making arrests.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 10:51 pm Posts: 14534 Location: Mesa,AZ
captainloveboat wrote:
'Dozens of carjackings were reported overnight, police said, and at one point, looters fired at a rescue helicopter, forcing it to abandon evacuating patients from a hospital.
This crap is making me sick. It's amazing how some of the worst character humanity has to offer has shown itself.
_________________
John Adams wrote:
In my many years I have come to a conclusion that one useless man is a shame, two is a law firm, and three or more is a congress.
1. Been too busy to debrief the police officer, so that will come later. Low priority now.
2. Buses loading people up on Camp Street to take refugees to Dallas, or so the word on the street (literally) is.
3. Dead bodies everywhere: convention center, down camp street, all over.
4. National Guard shoving water off the backs of trucks. They're just pushing it off without stopping, people don't even know it's there at first -- they drop it on the side in debris, there's no sign or distribution point -- people are scared to go near it at first, because the drop points are guarded by troops or federal agents with assault rifles who don't let people come near them, which scares people off. It is a mess. When people actually get to the water, they are in such a rush to get it that one family left their small child behind and forget about him until Sig carried him back to the family.
5. Lots of pics coming soon when Sig has time to update.
It's raining now and I guess that's a relief from the heat. It's hot as hell down there in the sun. Crime is absolutely rampant: rapes, murders, rape-murder combinations.
I have really cut back answering IMs. Not enough time. I apologize people.
In case anyone in national security is reading this, get the word to President Bush that we need the military in here NOW. The Active Duty Armed Forces. Mr. President, we are losing this city. I don't care what you're hearing on the news. The city is being lost. It is the law of the jungle down here. The command and control structure here is barely functioning. I'm not sure it's anyone's fault -- I'm not sure it could be any other way at this point. We need the kind of logistical support and infrastructure only the Active Duty military can provide. The hospitals are in dire straights. The police barely have any capabilities at this point. The National Guard is doing their best, but the situation is not being contained. Please get the military here to maintain order before this city is lost.
Joined: Fri Oct 29, 2004 5:45 pm Posts: 1481 Location: Jersey
they just said on the news that looters are stealing belongings off dead bodies.Pretty sick stuff
they also said that there have been many rapes and beatings inside the Convention Center.Something like this does seem to bring out the worst in people.
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:18 am Posts: 3920 Location: Philadelphia
Quote:
What is it that makes people pull shit like this? Pure opportunity, or is it just the general environment?
The saying "When the cat's away, the mice will play" always comes to mind in these lawless situations... i think it is a combo of oppurtunity, environment, frustration, ignorance, etc, etc, (fill in any negative feeling and im sure it contributes to below animal behavior).
_________________ I remember doing nothing on the night Sinatra died
And the night Jeff Buckley died
And the night Kurt Cobain died
And the night John Lennon died
I remember I stayed up to watch the news with everyone
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:15 pm Posts: 25452 Location: Under my wing like Sanford & Son Gender: Male
ranting in e-minor wrote:
Quote:
What is it that makes people pull shit like this? Pure opportunity, or is it just the general environment?
The saying "When the cat's away, the mice will play" always comes to mind in these lawless situations... i think it is a combo of oppurtunity, environment, frustration, ignorance, etc, etc, (fill in any negative feeling and im sure it contributes to below animal behavior).
When you've lost the little you have in life in just a few days, you tend to go insane.
_________________ Now that god no longer exists, the desire for another world still remains.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 3:58 am Posts: 2105 Location: Austin
OrpheusDescending wrote:
ranting in e-minor wrote:
Quote:
What is it that makes people pull shit like this? Pure opportunity, or is it just the general environment?
The saying "When the cat's away, the mice will play" always comes to mind in these lawless situations... i think it is a combo of oppurtunity, environment, frustration, ignorance, etc, etc, (fill in any negative feeling and im sure it contributes to below animal behavior).
When you've lost the little you have in life in just a few days, you tend to go insane.
Well hopefully a few trigger happy shopowners will end their suffering.
Joined: Sat Oct 16, 2004 11:15 pm Posts: 25452 Location: Under my wing like Sanford & Son Gender: Male
C4Lukin wrote:
OrpheusDescending wrote:
ranting in e-minor wrote:
Quote:
What is it that makes people pull shit like this? Pure opportunity, or is it just the general environment?
The saying "When the cat's away, the mice will play" always comes to mind in these lawless situations... i think it is a combo of oppurtunity, environment, frustration, ignorance, etc, etc, (fill in any negative feeling and im sure it contributes to below animal behavior).
When you've lost the little you have in life in just a few days, you tend to go insane.
Well hopefully a few trigger happy shopowners will end their suffering.
I cannot imagine the adrenaline that everyone must be running on, it's like fucking thunderdome or something.
_________________ Now that god no longer exists, the desire for another world still remains.
Joined: Sun Oct 17, 2004 3:58 am Posts: 2105 Location: Austin
OrpheusDescending wrote:
C4Lukin wrote:
OrpheusDescending wrote:
ranting in e-minor wrote:
Quote:
What is it that makes people pull shit like this? Pure opportunity, or is it just the general environment?
The saying "When the cat's away, the mice will play" always comes to mind in these lawless situations... i think it is a combo of oppurtunity, environment, frustration, ignorance, etc, etc, (fill in any negative feeling and im sure it contributes to below animal behavior).
When you've lost the little you have in life in just a few days, you tend to go insane.
Well hopefully a few trigger happy shopowners will end their suffering.
I cannot imagine the adrenaline that everyone must be running on, it's like fucking thunderdome or something.
Definetly. You have the criminals who would be doing this anyway. Some people who are just looting to get food and water. And then you have the decent folk who are overly tense because of the criminals. Add all that with the horrible conditions and the shitty communication, and it is a bad bad situation.
why the fuck are they looting electronical equipment..where the fuck will they put it, when can they use it (if ever)??
stuipid fucks..but i can see why this brings out the worst in people..these people have nothing..and nothing to lose..i guess they feel like, fuck it!!..theyre probably so down on themselves the way it is....
if i was there id loot a fuckin mountain bike and drive the hell off north..either that or steal some scuba gear from somewhere and check shit out..
_________________ bitches I like em brainless
guns I like em stainless steel
I want the fuckin fortune like the wheel
Joined: Mon Apr 04, 2005 2:18 am Posts: 3920 Location: Philadelphia
all of the looting makes me think of sublime's "April 29 1992"...
"...next spot we hit it was the music shop, it only took one brick to make that window drop, finally we got our own PA, where do you think I got this guitar that youre hearing today?"
_________________ I remember doing nothing on the night Sinatra died
And the night Jeff Buckley died
And the night Kurt Cobain died
And the night John Lennon died
I remember I stayed up to watch the news with everyone
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