Cops join in New Orleans looting!!

77th resident · Unread post by **77th resident** » August 30th, 2005, 3:05 pm

Even a cop joins in the looting

Mike Perlstein and Brian Thevenot
Staff writers

Law enforcement efforts to contain the emergency left by Katrina
slipped into chaos in parts of New Orleans Tuesday with some police officers
and firefighters joining looters in picking stores clean.

At the Wal-Mart on Tchoupitoulas Street, an initial effort to hand out
provisions to stranded citizens quickly disintegrated into mass
looting. Authorities at the scene said bedlam erupted after the giveaway was
announced over the radio.

While many people carried out food and essential supplies, others
cleared out jewelry racks and carted out computers, TVs and appliances on
handtrucks.

Some officers joined in taking whatever they could, including one New
Orleans cop who loaded a shopping cart with a compact computer and a
27-inchn flat-screen television.
Officers claimed there was nothing they could do to contain the
anarchy, saying their radio communications have broken down and they had no
direction from commanders.

“We don’t have enough cops to stop it,” an officer said. “A mass riot
would break out if you tried.”

Inside the store, the scene alternated between celebration and
frightening bedlam. A shirtless man straddled a broken jewelry case,
yelling, “Free samples, free samples over here.”

Another man rolled a mechanized pallet, stacked six feet high with
cases of vodka and whiskey.
Perched atop the stack was a bewildered toddler.

Throughout the store and parking lot, looters pushed carts and loaded
trucks and vans alongside officers. One man said police directed him to
Wal-Mart from Robert’s Grocery, where a similar scene was taking place.
A crowd in the electronics section said one officer broke the glass DVD
case so people wouldn’t cut themselves.

“The police got all the best stuff. They’re crookeder than us,” one man
said.

Most officers, though, simply stood by powerless against the tide of
law-breakers.

One veteran officer said, “It’s like this everywhere in the city. This
tiny number of cops can’t do anything about this. It’s wide open.”

At least one officer tried futilely to control a looter through shame.

“When they say take what you need, that doesn’t mean an f-ing TV,” the
officer shouted to a looter. “This is a hurricane, not a free-for-all.”

Sandra Smith of Baton Rouge walked through the parking lot with a
12-pack of Bud Light under each arm.
“I came down here to get my daughters,” she said, “but I can’t find
them.”

The scene turned so chaotic at times that entrances were blocked by the
press of people and shopping carts and traffic jams sprouted on
surrounding streets.

Some groups organized themselves into assembly lines to more
efficiently cart off goods.

Toni Williams, 25, packed her trunk with essential supplies, such as
food and water, but said mass looting disgusted and frightened her.

“I didn’t feel safe. Some people are going overboard,” she said.

Inside the store, one woman was stocking up on make-up. She said she
took comfort in watching police load up their own carts.

“It must be legal,” she said. “The police are here taking stuff, too.”

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp ... tml#075195

Unread post by **Dr. Gonzo** » August 30th, 2005, 3:11 pm

HAHA this is hilarious. Their are people dying and these assholes are looking for playstations. These idiot's should be ashamed of themselves for taking advantage of this tragedy.

Unread post by **Cold Bear** » August 31st, 2005, 7:45 am

What I heard is one of the 70 cops that got sent in to stop looting got shot in the head. He survived but only the stupid rookie cops are tryna stop a mob of people, the rest learned they might as well join em.

Unread post by **Common Sense** » August 31st, 2005, 11:50 am

Looting for food and water is one thing, but looting for TV's and DVD players is another, and those looters should be shot.

Dunn · Unread post by **Dunn** » September 1st, 2005, 11:29 am

Common Sense wrote:Looting for food and water is one thing, but looting for TV's and DVD players is another, and those looters should be shot.

Thats a bit extreme... fuck the Wal-Mart Corporation they make enough money as it is, if every house in the ghetto got a plasma screen now I ain't trippin.

anonymousman · Unread post by **anonymousman** » September 1st, 2005, 12:16 pm

i think i would go for the jewlery, knowing i will be left without a house i'd need all the diamonds i could get.

Unread post by **Common Sense** » September 1st, 2005, 12:31 pm

Dunn wrote:
Common Sense wrote:Looting for food and water is one thing, but looting for TV's and DVD players is another, and those looters should be shot.
Thats a bit extreme... fu-- the Wal-Mart Corporation they make enough money as it is, if every house in the ghetto got a plasma screen now I ain't trippin.

Yea I guess your right......LOL.

c-bus · Unread post by **c-bus** » September 1st, 2005, 2:05 pm

Haha, the new orleans cops are and have always been the crookedest in the country, I don't really care about the looting of the shops, but peoples houses are getting ransacked and looted too, that's what I would be pissed about.

Unread post by **corn** » September 1st, 2005, 2:53 pm

to tell u the truth if i was in neworleans i would be cleanin out the ps2 games, music cds, and cash registers lol

MiChuhSuh · Unread post by **MiChuhSuh** » September 1st, 2005, 4:37 pm

This is sad the cops joining in.

I sort of understand the cop who helped break open the case so people wouldn't hurt themselves breaking in though, there is a man who cares about people, and prevents them getting hurt even if it means helping them break the law.

However, about the cops taking stuff they don't need, that is wrong.

This whole situation is sad, it shows the NO character.

After 9/11 and after the NY week-long blackout, people in the city everyone thought was apathetic didn't loot, there was only one incident.

NO is a baaaaad place though, much more apathy I see.

c-bus · Unread post by **c-bus** » September 2nd, 2005, 12:16 pm

NO ain't a bad place it's a poor place, the parish there ranked as one of the poorest areas in the country. I got family and freinds from there and been down there many times, people there are way more freindly than in most major urban centers throught the country. It's just that there is a major gap between rich and poor which is mostly based on racial lines, I mean theres few places anywhere in the nation were you could be walking past million dollar homes and a block later you walking past shacks. You could say that about some places in socal but thats just because its an anthill like the east coast and real estate prices are stupid crazy. I love nawlins and it's people. By the way I heard a fucked up rumor that may turn out true, who knows, but someone said that the federal government was going to improve the levies there, but instead diverted the funds to the Iraqi war. An now president doush is getting blasted for an inadequate response, man this would be so poeticly ironic and funny if it wasn't so damn sad. An for those people who don't think looting (i wouldn't even consider it looting) a wal-mart, wallgreens, piggly-wiggly or whatever in a time of major crisis ok, hop on a army copter and get droped off in the middle of canal street and walk yo ass to the I-10, if you can get there without contracting cholera or west nile. Cuzz man i bet you a lot of the people on that overpast barely have cars, and if they did they're probably underwater. All the poor sections of the city are the most unprotected, as usual, and flood every once in a while anyway. An when it comes down to it, it's sad to say, it's the poor the ones who's gotta pay. So please donate, so the good times can keep rollin in the big easy. Peace out.

Unread post by **MICK** » September 2nd, 2005, 8:07 pm

COPS ARE JOINING THE LOOTING!?

you say that like its supposed to suprise me.........

F*ck cops. They are gangsters with badges.

Anonymous20 · Unread post by **Anonymous20** » October 3rd, 2005, 7:37 pm

Common Sense wrote:Looting for food and water is one thing, but looting for TV's and DVD players is another, and those looters should be shot.

it is now know that the NO Police looted beer, watches, and a generator for a refrigerator. Already 12 police officers are under investigation. Should those cops be shot?

Unread post by **Common Sense** » October 4th, 2005, 9:04 am

"Looters should be shot" was just an extreme figure of speech for my disapproval of such behavior. No we shouldn't shoot the looters or the looting NOPD officers that took non essential goods, but they should be fired (considering the extreme conditions).

MiChuhSuh · Unread post by **MiChuhSuh** » October 4th, 2005, 4:58 pm

alonso wrote:
Common Sense wrote:Looting for food and water is one thing, but looting for TV's and DVD players is another, and those looters should be shot.
it is now know that the NO Police looted beer, watches, and a generator for a refrigerator. Already 12 police officers are under investigation. Should those cops be shot?

They should all be....

Dang, this is America. Fine, they should be a fair trial,

BUT THEN sentenced to the FULL EXTENT of the law, ESPECIALLY the officers, to make an example.

anonymousman · Unread post by **anonymousman** » October 4th, 2005, 5:05 pm

its survival of the fittest and lets face it, if most of us were cops we would do the same thing.

Unread post by **MICK** » October 5th, 2005, 9:30 am

^^ FALSE

surival would be stealing food, clothing and medical supplies.

Beer, watches, Converse shoes, PS2s, TVs, and all that other sh*t has NOTHING to do with surviving.