Posted on 08/26/2023 12:53:16 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
Shocking footage out of Maui shows a police vehicle presumably on its way to block residents of Lahaina, Hawaii, from escaping as deadly wildfires raged.
Shocking footage out of Maui shows a police vehicle presumably on its way to block residents of Lahaina, Hawaii, from escaping as deadly wildfires raged.
The video appears to have been shot by a resident stuck in a line of cars on a highway as high winds impacted the region shortly before fires tore through and destroyed the town.
“Good luck,” the driver of a car stuck in a line of vehicles said as he filmed a police squad car passing him.
“Look at this. Holy ****. This is a nightmare,” the man noted, going on to add, “I don’t know where he’s going. Probably to block our street.”
“They’re going to ******* barbecue all these people down in Lahaina,” the man ominously predicted.
“We’re all trapped down in here,” he continued. “They’re blocking off all exits and everyone is just stuck going in a circle in a fire pit.”
The video corroborates claims last week from a Maui native known as “Fish” who said he personally witnessed police on the island preventing people from evacuating.
“So I went around back to Front Street and all the cars were lined up but none of them were moving,” Fish described in an interview. “And I walked all the way from Safeway to the Chart House – not one car has moved, and I was wondering what was stopping the traffic. Well, it was a policeman. And I got to the end and I looked up north. There were no obstructions. There was no reason to keep those cars there.”
“Are you serious?” asked a man conducting the interview.
“I’m serious as a heart attack,” Fish confirmed. “And I said, ‘What are you doing?’ he goes, ‘Well, I’m under orders to keep them here.’ And I said, ‘The fire is right around Safeway. It’s gonna hit Front Street. You know? These people gotta get outta here!’ And he’s like, ‘I’m following orders.’”
Another witness also recounted how he defied roadblocks and escaped to safety after being directed by police from a major highway onto Front Street, only to find the road was already blocked off by law enforcement.
The startling video comes as the Associated Press reported Wednesday that numerous Lahaina residents burned to death inside their vehicles due to barriers erected to prevent their escape, while those who disobeyed police roadblocks survived the blaze.
“The report contains shocking details revealing that people were turned back by a crew as they attempted to flee, with several being burned alive in their cars or in the middle of the street as a result,” reports Summit News’ Steve Watson.
The reports confirming police were blocking people from trying to leave follow news FEMA and top Maui emergency response officials were holding a disaster preparedness meeting in Oahu, Hawaii, at the same time the blazes broke out.
Those are great questions. Wish I knew the answers.
All I do know is what I’d have done: I would have treated it as a self defense situation and dealt with legal ramifications afterwards.
If the cops blocked the streets, did they die too?
I would not assume that. When it got a lot hotter, the cop was in the perfect position to drive away.
Don’t forget to fly your “defaced with a blue stripe” “Back the Blue” flag ...
Anybody who still “backs the blue” isn’t paying attention.
It's starting to look like deliberate malice to me.
“Every detail that surfaces points another finger at massive governmental incompetence.
It’s starting to look like deliberate malice to me.”
I am leaning to simple incompetence.
FWIW I have seen no reports of police fatalities.
-PJ
Another good question. If they have any morality, they will feel remorse and guilt. Unfortunately, not everyone has morality.
As for the cop he might honestly think that I'm being very stupid and that my stupidity can receive the death penalty. But that sentence for stupidity is self enforcing. No state action required. So to him, "Get out of my, perhaps damned, way."
A friend of mine (not a Freeper - I just shared the article with him) had what I thought was a good observation: If this has happened during a war, it would have been a war crime. I agree.
Oops meant if this had happened...
You know they won’t even get a slap on the wrist. They MIGHT get a strongly worded reprimand buried in their files, but more likely will get a medal for bravely keeping the people there to burn to death.
As long as no police were hurt the rest doesn’t matter
I live in a very fire prone area, when there’s a big wildfire the electricity almost always goes out, (fire burns the poles down), I keep my property as close to fire safe as I can.
The last wildfire burnt right down to the line I cut around my house with my tractor and burnt right up to the edge of my orchard (I keep the orchard irrigated).
Every time they tell me I am under “MANDATORY EVACUATION ORDER”, I just tell them to F#@K OFF, all they need is my name and SS# for filing the death certificate.
Have yet to be arrested or forced off my property!
So the cops skid dadled in the nick of time?
The more that comes out on this the more I feel sick to my stomach. This is beyond horrible.
“Holy shit people have lost their God given free will.”
Actually, they haven’t lost it, they just use it to choose badly, because it’s easier to be the sheep.
People have lost their spunk and love of liberty.
I don’t think that will happen. Maybe among some of the haole or hapa haole families. The true “locals” are pretty passive. (Just my observation after living in Maui for a few years. I could be wrong.)
I remember years ago when Metro Atlanta and North Georgia had some very heavy rains that caused flooding in rivers and streams in several places. In this instance most of the cross-waterway roads in Cherokee County were flooded and the traffic coming out of ATL to North Georgia was horrendous. Police from several counties actually all worked together to create a car-Conga Line (serpentine) that routed people hours out of their way or into wait-lines. When you finally got somewhere a police car was there making you turn around and start it all over again. It turned out there was only ONE access - Bells Ferry Road across what tributaries and waterways that fed Lake Allatoona was passable.
The police coordinated it all to put the traffic in just a few routes so that other metro areas were relatively clear. They never advertised about the only route open north.
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