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| Force threatened to clear out hold-outs as relief workers come under sniper fire |
| 2005-09-08 |
| Using friendly persuasion backed by the threat of force, police and soldiers went house to house Wednesday to try to coax the last 10,000 or so stubborn holdouts to leave storm-shattered New Orleans because of the risk of disease from the putrid, sewage-laden floodwaters. "A large group of young armed men with M-16s just arrived at my door and told me that I have to leave," said Patrick McCarty, who lives in the city's Lower Garden District. "While not saying they would arrest you, the inference is clear." Mayor C. Ray Nagin ordered law officers and the military late Tuesday to evacuate all holdouts -- by force if necessary. He warned that the combination of fetid water, fires and natural gas leaks after Hurricane Katrina made it too dangerous to stay. In fact, the first government tests confirmed Wednesday that the amount of sewage-related bacteria in the floodwaters is at least 10 times higher than acceptable safety levels. And health officials said at least four people may have died of a waterborne bacterial infection circulating in Katrina's floodwaters. As of midday, there were no reports of anyone being removed by force, and it was not clear how the order would be carried out. The stepped-up evacuation came as workers trying to get into the city to restart essential services came under sniper fire. More than 100 officers and seven armored personnel carriers captured a suspect in a housing project who had been firing on workers trying to restore cell phone towers, authorities said. Workers struggled to find and count corpses sniffed out by cadaver dogs in the 90-degree heat. The mayor has said New Orleans' death toll could reach 10,000. The enormity of the disaster came ever-clearer in neighboring St. Bernard Parish, which was hit by a levee break that brought a wall of water up to 20 feet high. State Rep. Nita Hutter said 30 people died at a flooded nursing home in Chalmette when the staff left the elderly residents behind in their beds. And Rep. Charlie Melancon said more than 100 people died at a dockside warehouse while they waited for rescuers to ferry them to safety. The floodwaters continued to recede, though slowly, with only 23 of the city's normal contingent of 148 pumps in operation, along with three portable pumps. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #8 Mandatory evacuations are permitted in the exercise of what is called the "police power," which is the reserve power of the government to act in emergency situations. |
| Posted by: john 2005-09-08 19:25 |
| #7 Just heard that the estimate of damage to the |
| Posted by: Red Dog 2005-09-08 15:09 |
| #6 *ahem* Super Dumb Plaza. |
| Posted by: not altogether clear 2005-09-08 07:34 |
| #5 Super Dome Plaza. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-09-08 07:31 |
| #4 I remember picking up 2 slugs and watching other's do the same on Super Bowl Plaza on New Years Day in 2003. Gun sex on New Years Eve is a big New Orleans tradition. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2005-09-08 07:30 |
| #3 yes i agree there is no sniper fire, i mean these goons firing guns around havnt been to any kind of sniper school, or for that matter any sort of school in there lifes, they dont have fckin sniper rifles either, drives me up the wall, BBC this morning are crowing the 'sniper fire' line so im gonna complain. |
| Posted by: Shep UK 2005-09-08 04:59 |
| #2 Both Mayor Nugget and Gov Bunco are out of their league - probably on any topic or issue of greater import than running a lemonade stand. The legal key is condemnation. Condemn the flooded homes and then you can legally remove the people - martial law optional, One of the film crews on Fox reported, with obvious amazement, that they saw people washing their clothes and dishes in the flood water. Sigh. Some people are in the Too Stupid To Live category, usually reserved for meatheads and bimbos in slasher movies. To protect others, as well as themselves, they need some help with the cognition thingy. |
| Posted by: .com 2005-09-08 03:07 |
| #1 Gen Honore says there is no sniper fire. Someone pulls aout a gun and starts shooting that is not a sniper (unless you are the MSM) He says "you don't see me wearing body armor do you?" "two guys in the street have a shoot out it ain't sniper fire it's a gun fight." There are no snipers in NO. There are stupid people playing with guns. Manditory evacuations are illegal. You can't force someone to leave their home without a warrant. No Judge will give you one. You can declare they can't be on the street. You can declare a 24X7 curfew. You can not order them to leave their home. You will also have a hard time getting anyone to remove someone who doesn't want to leave their home from their home. 99% of cops will not do it. |
| Posted by: Sock Puppet O´ Doom 2005-09-08 02:52 |