Police Kill Five on La. Bridge(UPDATE CONTRACTORS WERE SHOT AT: THE NOPD shot BAD GUYS)

CNN, AP BREAKING ^

[Chucky is a girlie man]

New Orleans PD shot contractors - not thugs - on bridge

Mod point of clarification: The first 100 or so replies below were posted in reaction to reports that the contractors had been fatally shot.

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Mod Update

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The Associated Press
Police shot and killed at least five people Sunday after gunmen opened fire on a group of contractors traveling across a bridge on their way to make repairs, authorities said.

Deputy Police Chief W.J. Riley said police shot at eight people carrying guns, killing five or six.

Fourteen contractors were traveling across the Danziger Bridge under police escort when they came under fire, said John Hall, a spokesman for the Army Corps of Engineers.

They were on their way to launch barges into Lake Pontchartrain to help plug the breech in the 17th Street Canal, Hall said.

None of the contractors was killed, Hall said.

The bridge spans a canal connecting Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River.

No other details were immediately available.

[Alia]

The GOOD guys in the NOPD, who'd initially begun going after the looters, had been pulled off to do rescues. IF, IMHO, NOLA had put Martial Law into place, immediately, the GOOD NOPD could have taken out a few on their way to a rescue. But, that's not what happened.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

yupper..I saw that..switched over to Kentucky/Louisville before he was done..it's difficult trying to understand an intelligent statement when the person making it is unarmed..:)

[pepperhead]

Yeah Adblock is great. Just today I had to block some dumb USA Today add because I couldn't read a web page.

[festus]

I'll take your word for it.

My father, a former New Orleans resident, commented on this whole situations, "Lootin and shootin looks like the big easy is back to normal already."

[HonestConservative]

Nah, Teddy would just call it a quagmire and he'll be screaming for an exit strategy any minute now.

[onyx]

But I expect a full report from you. Well, maybe only the low lights. :)

[ZULU]

Looks likew th NOPD is worth about as much as a barrel of sand in the Sahara Desert.

[Delta Dawn]

"Thanks for a much needed laugh! Imagine Kerry standing at the head of the boat like George Washington!"

Actually, I see John Kerry standing at the head of the boat, like...John Kerry

We really don't want JK to go down to LA anyway. There is potential that he could get injured 4 or 5 times maybe. I am not sure that the US Army could financially withstand the run on
Purple Hearts that this could generate.

[layman]

many New Orleans Police were reported to have taken part in looting themselves

The reporting on this entire tragedy has reinforced my conviction that ALL reporting by media should be viewed with skepticism ... it might be true, partly true, or totally false. A media feeding frenzy is in progress concerning the NOPD. I won't draw any conclusions until the dust settles and the rumors and assumptions are separated from the facts.

[wimpycat]

I actually haven't heard about much thuggery occurring in the last couple of days. I think they've scurried back under their rocks. But this morning I saw some footage of a heavyset, (black) NOPD officer aiming a rifle at the head of a looter with an armful of clothes. That looter dropped his loot and ambled away, then the officer aimed his rifle at the head of another looter, and that looter dropped his loot and took off. The officer's back was to the camera and there was no sound, but I would have given just about ANYTHING to hear what the officer said to those looters! Having a rifle pointed at their heads at a pretty close range may have been all the motivation they needed to drop their loot, but you know that cop was saying something to those dudes, and I bet that he was using some pretty colorful language.

[GeorgiaDawg32]

Low-light..Jackson was on...highlight, they went to a break..:)

[RasterMaster]

It should be Mayor Q-balls head that rolls...as well as his dufus of a Governor.

[LadyBuzz]

But did they rhyme?

[cardinal4]

We could use Teddy's expert underwater rescue skills at this time too.

Good idea, but it wouldnt work this time, he's too buoyant. Which is what happens when you try to drink away your conscience..

[George Oh Well]

The police shot at a gang of 8 or 9 people who were themselves shooting at 14 contractors attempting to cross the bridge. No contractors were killed. 5 gang bangers were killed. This is the most decent accomplishment of the NOPD yet!

[cardinal4]

No flames from me..

[mass55th]

"Again, where is Kerry and his Brand of Brothers? Their unique boating skills could sure be put to use here, right? Maybe they could cross the watery border into Mississippi. Have Christmas there."

And let's not forget to ask John Boy to bring his lucky hat. There might even be a Purple Heart in it for him.

[PureSolace]

NOPD Looting Shoes and such...

[GeorgiaDawg32]

I can imagine it went something like this..

"gentlemen, I have a gun pointed at your heads..if you don't drop and run, things will get messy"..they took him at his word..

[OldFriend]

Dear G-d.

Prayers for the good samaritans that are trying to help.

The evil ones don't want their city to be saved before they're finished looting it.