New Orleans Begins Confiscating Firearms as Water Recedes

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BryanP

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The article is longer, the first few paragraphs posted below


New Orleans Begins Confiscating Firearms as Water Recedes

By ALEX BERENSON and TIMOTHY WILLIAMS

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 8 - Waters were receding across this flood-beaten city today as police officers began confiscating weapons, including legally registered firearms, from civilians in preparation for a mass forced evacuation of the residents still living here.

No civilians in New Orleans will be allowed to carry pistols, shotguns, or other firearms, said P. Edwin Compass, the superintendent of police. "Only law enforcement are allowed to have weapons," he said.

But that order apparently does not apply to the hundreds of security guards whom businesses and some wealthy individuals have hired to protect their property. The guards, who are civilians working for private security firms like Blackwater, are openly carrying M-16's and other assault rifles. Mr. Compass said he was aware of the private guards, but that the police had no plans to make them give up their weapons.

Nearly two weeks after the floods began, New Orleans has turned into an armed camp, patrolled by thousands of local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, as well as National Guard troops and active-duty soldiers. While armed looters roamed unchecked last week, the city is now calm. No arrests were made on Wednesday night or this morning, and police received only 10 calls for service, a police spokesman said.


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I'd probly already be gone from the area, since I have a car and nothing worth dying for besides my guns, but if for whatever reason I was still there I would tell them, from what went on, that they can take my gun, but they will take him out in a body bag. :mad:

Lets see how many disarmed citizens get killed because of this. I for one seriously believe that I would be able to pull the trigger in that situation. (None of us know until we have to.) Do they have any LEGAL authority to do this???
 
Someone needs to file a lawsuit tout suite..42USC 1983
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From what I've read, the city is now under the control of the military, divided into sectors (as usual for martial law). How would any resident have legal standing to sue?

AFAIK it's well accepted that civil rights can be limited under martial law. Someone might be able to sue arguing that this declaration of martial law is unconstitutional, but that's another issue.
 
They want everybody out of town....and the legality of doing so is murky. So, they're trying to make living in town as unappealing as possible. Not a good way to do it, though.

OTOH, I'm fairly certain they have the right to confiscate and arrest, if the weapon is carried openly. LA and the City of NO are not open carry jurisdictions, last I checked. If they're practicing a "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy, it amounts to little more than a threat.
Rich
 
To me this is a very serious development--I just saw these four things on the national news (wasn't paying attention to what newwork):

1. I think it was an older woman who was showing a pistol, or pulling one from a drawer--anyway she was thrown to the floor by police or military.

2. The police chief, Compass, said his force would take firearms from people, no were allowed firearms--no reference to if they were owned legally...

3. Police, or military (couldn't tell), go into a fairly well off house and find two or three people. They detain the people, who were armed. They release the people, but confisate there firearms.

4. A quick interview with what appeared to be a National Guardsman--he was uncomforable patrolling US streets. Would he take lawfully owned firearms--most likely?

So, it appears that whatever polical posturing the NRA and others have done for gun owners is null and void in these situations...
 
These guys are making up the rules as they go. I'm sure that we will have months of politically motivated investigations to point out what went wrong. It looks like individuals will be driven from their property regardless of their right to remain. The first person to refuse to give up their guns will be branded a sniper and will be killed. Who will be there to tell it differently?
 
On the evening news tonight I saw an older woman with what looked like a pearl handled S&W M&P revolver (gotta love it!) being overpowered by paramilitary type LEOs and forced to leave her home. When asked to leave, she said she had a gun to protect herself. When asked to show it, she pulled out the old M&P and held it around the frame and cylinder. That is when she was taken to the ground by law enforcement. Her gun was never pointed at anyone, and it was reportedly unloaded. She never made a threat (at least not on camera), but politely refused to leave her home.

Then there is Mama D. She has stated she will die first, and expects to. There are still civilian evacuation efforts being run by individuals, churches and community groups. I'm not sure about this forced evacuation. It does not seem right to me. I have a feeling that there will be a shootout or two before this is over. People who simply wanted the right to be left alone in their homes will die and be branded criminals.

They are trying to scare people with reports of E.coli in the water. They are not saying that E.coli is present in every person's underwear and on every restroom doorknob in the nation. Scare tactics..... :rolleyes:

Then there was this from another forum on the gun confiscation issue.....
It was the head of the NOPD and it is illegal. NOLA is still operating under state law. Under LA law they have some emergency power to suspend only the sale of alcohol and firearms. The LA Attorney General has been notified by the NRA and others.
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These are just random thoughts guys, sorry they are not more cohesive.
 
One of the evening newscasts (CBS I believe), stated that the officers who took the elderly woman down in the incident XavierBreath describes above were from the California Highway Patrol. Whether that identification was correct or not, I have no idea.

The broadcast also noted that there were mixed feelings on the part of local Louisiana law enforcement agencies about the help they were receiving from outside agencies (glad they are there to help, not happy that the local agencies need the assistance, unhappy that local citizens may be being brusquely treated by those from outside agencies, tired as all get-out, etc.)...all understandable emotions, I expect.

The police chief of New Orleans was shown swearing in seventeen(?) cadets from their local academy who had not yet completed training but were being sworn in anyway due to the crisis...his final words to them (at least in the news piece) were something along the lines of a matter-of-fact "congratulations, now get back to work."

What a difficult situation for everyone there.... :(
 
Has Martial Law been declared in New Orleans? I know that the Mayor tried to do so, but he does not have that authority. I was under the belief that Martial Law was never declared by the Governor. If this is true how can this confiscation be justified?
 
Pinky,
I was/am under the impression that the LA AG has clarified that Louisiana law has no provision for martial law.
Tuesday, 9:02 p.m.
The state Attorney General's office on Tuesday sought to clarify reports in some media that "martial law' has been declared in parts of storm-ravaged southeast Louisiana, saying no such term exists in Louisiana law.
But even though no martial law exists, Gov. Kathleen Blanco's declaration of a state of emergency gives authorities widespread latitude to suspend civil liberties as they try to restore order and bring victims to safety. Under the Louisiana Homeland Security and Emergency Assistance and Disaster Act of 1993, the governor and, in some cases, chief parish officials, have the right to commandeer or utilize any private property if necessary to cope with the emergency.
Authorities may also suspend any statute related to the conduct of official business, or any rule issued by a state agency, if complying would "prevent, hinder or delay necessary action'' to mitigate the emergency.
It also gives authority the right to compel evacuations, suspend alcohol and weapons sales and make provisions for the availability and use of temporary emergency housing.
The law gives mayors similar authority, except they do not have the right to commandeer private property or make provisions for emergency housing, according to a background brief prepared by the state Attorney General's office.
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Link
 
copy of the video here:
http://www.thefiringline.com/video/20050908_LA/

"They [national guard and police] were a little bit threatened because our weapons were bigger than their weapons."

I can't believe they got that quote on the news! Awesome!

Some choice quotes from NG members:
"It is surreal... you just never expect to do this in your own country."
"Walking up and down these streets, you don't want to think about the stuff that you're going to have to do if someone pops around the corner."

"Popping around a corner" is grounds for what, exactly?
 
I am not the type of guy who gets angry very easily, however when I saw this article my blood boiled. Just what the hell are they thinking? I cannot believe it! Cops, the National Guard, and mercenaries confiscating legal firearms from law abiding people who need them more than ever... I don't know if it will do any good but I just sent a letter to the NRA Civil Rights Defense Fund demanding that they to get to the bottom of this... Perhaps others on here could do the same.
 
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