Troopers gonna troop

Not sure how Landrieu and Serpas get to criticize this.  They're the ones who begged for the "help."

State Police Superintendent Col. Mike Edmonson told reporters Wednesday (July 30) his troopers were justified in using force to bring a musician to the ground and handcuff him during a 9th Ward traffic stop last week, though he called the roughness "unfortunate."

Shamarr Allen, 33, a trumpeter who leads a well-known band, Shamarr Allen and the Underdawgs, claimed in an interview with WWL-TV that troopers unnecessarily pushed him, kicked him and threatened him with their guns drawn. He said he was trying to comply with troopers' demands.

"You move one time, I'm going to blow your head off," Allen recalled hearing a cop tell him in the WWL interview. "In my head I'm like, 'Maybe this is how it's going to end for me.'"

But Col. Edmonson said at a Wednesday news conference in the French Quarter that after reviewing video of the incident and a police report, he concluded the troopers used reasonable force for the situation at hand.

The "situation at hand" was they were looking for a suspect who had just escaped custody.  So they randomly stopped anyone who happened to be in the area and threatened him with  "I'm going to blow your head off." 

Somewhere Norman Robinson is smiling.

It's also worth remembering that the troopers are pretty much just doing what they were hired to do.  We understood their history when they arrived.

The incident is not the first allegation of racial bias involving State Police troopers in New Orleans. During Mardi Gras 2013, several white plainclothes State Police troopers tackled two young black teens to the ground in the French Quarter, detaining them until one of their mothers, who was an NOPD officer, intervened.

Anyway, if you're driving around out there tonight, it's a good idea to be aware the Serpas Signal is up. Hopefully no one tries to blow your head off.

The New Orleans Police Department’s Traffic Division will conduct a sobriety checkpoint, in Orleans Parish, on Thursday July 31, 2014, beginning at approximately 9:00 P.M. and will conclude at approximately 5:00 A.M.  Motorists will experience minimal delays and should have the proper documentation available if requested, i.e., proof of insurance, driver’s license, etc.  

 

Something stupid

You may have noticed on Sunday that only one news story happened in the City Of New Orleans. 

When the gunfire stopped, surveillance footage showed, those who ventured back out to the suddenly deserted street found at least two people lying wounded on the ground and rushed to their aid.

It was two “cowardly” men arguing about “something stupid” who were responsible for the wounds to the nine victims, Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said at an afternoon news conference at the scene.

Maybe if we let the vigilante stalker dude parade his "Minutemen" around the Quarter none of this would have happened, right?  No, of course it would have happened just the way it did because an incidence of sudden gunfire on a crowded street is just as likely to happen regardless of who how many vigilantes there are. All it takes is "two cowardly men arguing about something stupid."  And if you're going to make that illegal then.. well good luck shutting down Twitter.

The same is true with regard to NOPD manpower but that won't stop every city official who cares to comment from clamoring for MORE POLICE EVERYWHERE.

City Council members Jared Brossett, Jason Williams and Nadine Ramsey considered the shootings a clarion call to turn a more critical eye toward management of the New Orleans Police Department. Ramsey has demanded an audit of the 8^th District's on-duty roster that night to determine how many cops were working near the 700 block of Bourbon when shots were fired at 2:45 a.m.

"Chief Serpas needs to answer that," said Ramsey, whose district includes the French Quarter. Police Superintendent Ronal Serpas said Sunday that 25 officers were in the vicinity.

"I'm not clear what the number is," Ramsey said. "The audit will tell us how many officers are assigned to the 8^th District and how many were out in the field on that day."

In their defense it really is hard to resist the temptation to jump up and say a thing into the microphone in these situations.  Notice the three councilpersons offering immediate comment were the rookies. (CM Gray also issued a statement but it wasn't an excited call for more cops.) They'll probably learn.

Or maybe they won't.  Retired professional communicator Norman Robinson didn't. 

The answer to the violence in the French Quarter and the rest of the city is simple but we are afraid to face it. It's time to stop and frisk suspicious looking characters. To hell with the protest. Better frisked than dead. 

Ok, Norman. Please go back to bed. I wonder if he has a similar opinion about the DUI checkpoints..

Anyway, looks like dreams really do come true for these people.

NEW ORLEANS – State Police plan to increase their presence during the upcoming Essence Fesitval and they’ll also begin patrolling where they’re needed throughout the city of New Orleans for the rest of the summer.

The need for additional resources was magnified after the early morning shooting Sunday that left 10 people injured on Bourbon Street.

The cavalry is here. That'll make us all feel safer.

Anyway Serpas may or may not be right about this situation beginning with "cowards arguing about something stupid," but it should be obvious to everyone that it's definitely ending up that way. 

Motorist's advisory

About an hour ago Norman Robinson shared the following chilling message on Twitter.

Don't miss the hot seat this Sunday with Helena Moreno and James Perry.

Note that in order for this event to happen, we can expect Perry, Moreno, and Robinson to all three be using the roads at about the same time. If you're out driving yourself on Sunday please be aware of this hazard. If you don't have to travel during this time, it's best to just stay indoors. Preferably under something if possible.