Author: Dave Minsky

Man 'struck multiple times' in police-involved shooting at Bourbon and St. Louis streets; NOPD's use of force team investigating

New Orleans Police Department

One man is injured after he was shot by officers Saturday morning while responding a report of a person pointing a firearm at bystanders near the corner of Bourbon and St. Louis streets, according to the New Orleans Police Superintendent Shaun Ferguson.

New Orleans Eighth District Police officers responded to the call at 7:26 a.m. when they encountered the man armed with a gun, Ferguson said.

There was an exchange of gun fire between the police and the man, who was “struck multiple times,” New Orleans Police said.

Ferguson said four officers responded and three fired their service weapons at the man, who was struck in the chest.

The man was transported to a local hospital where he underwent surgery for a gunshot wound to the chest, Ferguson said.

No officers were injured in the incident, he said.

New Orleans Police’s Force Investigation Team, which investigates police use of force is investigating the incident, Ferguson said, adding that the crime scene stretches from the 400 to 500 blocks of St. Louis Street.

The four officers who responded were re-assigned as part of the New Orleans Police Department’s standard protocol pending the investigation, Ferguson said.

The New Orleans Independent Police Monitor was on scene following the shooting and federal monitoring agencies were also notified, including the FBI, Ferguson added.

“[It’s an] unfortunate incident whenever our officers have to resort to using their weapons during their course of duties,” Ferguson said. “We are praying for the family of this individual as well as our officers.”

It wasn’t immediately clear in front of which bar the gun fight occurred, Ferguson said, but added that it happened outside.

City-owned public safety surveillance cameras reportedly captured the footage of the shooting, according to New Orleans Police, which is being shared with the department’s Real Time Crime Center. Ferguson said the department will enact its video release policy.

The incident is under investigation, Ferguson said.

Anyone with additional information regarding this incident is asked to call the New Orleans Police Department at 504-658-6800.

Read New Orleans Police Department’s use of force policy here.

Rare Finds on Decatur Street has stopped selling Nazi, KKK novelties at request of the Anti-Defamation League

Peyton Rose via Google

The Rare Finds antique store on Decatur Street has stopped selling Ku Klux Klan, Nazi and other memorabilia deemed racist following a request by the New Orleans chapter of the Anti-Defamation League.

Owner Susan Saucier agreed to remove the items — which also reportedly included Jim Crow-era merchandise with caricatures of black people — at the request of the Anti-Defamation League South Central, nola.com reported.

Some of the items included at Nazi flag and a statuette of a Ku Klux Klansman with reported price tags of $1,695 and $1,295, respectively, according to the newspaper.

The business, which is located at 1231 Decatur Street, opened in 1997 and also sells Saints and Mardi Gras-themed items.

Suspect engages in brief conversation with victim on St. Ann Street, then robs him, NOPD says

Courtesy of the NOPD.

A man is wanted in connection to an alleged Jan. 10 simple robbery on St. Ann Street in which he engaged in conversation with the victim then demanded his property, according to the New Orleans Police Department.

New Orleans Police said the incident occurred at about 6:17 a.m when the victim was walking in the 800 block of St. Ann Street.

The suspect approached from behind and engaged in a brief conversation before demanding the victim’s property, according to New Orleans Police.

A physical altercation ensued between the two and resulted in the suspect taking possession of the victim’s property, according to the NOPD.

The victim attempted to chase the suspect on foot down St. Ann Street towards North Rampart Street but was unsuccessful, the NOPD said.

Police described the suspect as a medium build black male wearing a white shirt and jeans.

A surveillance photo, pictured above, was released by the NOPD on Jan. 23.

Anyone with information on the identity or the location of the suspect is asked to contact NOPD Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080 or Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 and toll-free at 877-903-7867.

Gold Rolex watch snatched from victim's wrist by robbery suspect in Bourbon Street bathroom, NOPD says

New Orleans Police released surveillance camera footage of a suspect who allegedly snatched a gold Rolex watch off the wrist of a victim inside a Bourbon Street bathroom on Jan. 16.

A man briefly chased an alleged thief who snatched a gold Rolex watch from his wrist inside a Bourbon Street bathroom Jan. 16 before losing of the suspect, according to New Orleans Police.

The incident occurred at approximately 2:40 a.m. when the suspect followed the victim inside the bathroom of a business in the 200 block of Bourbon Street and took the watch, New Orleans Police said.

The suspect ran out of the building onto Iberville Street towards Royal Street, according to New Orleans Police. The victim briefly gave chase, but lost sight of the suspect.

New Orleans police are investigating the incident as a simple robbery and on Jan. 23 released surveillance camera footage of the suspect, which is pictured above.

Police describe the suspect as a black male standing six foot one inch tall with a slim build, wearing a white mesh hat with a black front, white t-shirt and dark colored pants.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact New Orleans Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080. Anonymous callers are asked to contact Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 877-903-7867.

Two suspects wanted by NOPD in connection to Jan. 19 stabbing, simple robbery on Iberville Street

The surveillance camera footage of two suspects wanted by the New Orleans Police Department in connection to a Jan. 19 stabbing and simple robbery in the 700 block of Iberville Street.

Two suspects are wanted for allegedly stabbing a victim during a simple robbery in the 700 block of Iberville Street on Jan. 19 then fleeing the scene, according to New Orleans Police.

The incident occurred at about 6 a.m. when a suspect in a pink shirt allegedly stabbed the victim in the abdomen with a sharp object during the simple robbery, according to the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD).

The suspect then fled the scene in a black Dodge Durango driven by another person with blonde hair and wearing a black shirt, the NOPD said.

According to the NOPD, the Durango’s license plate is C703792.

The Dodge Durango allegedly involved in the Jan. 19 simple robbery and stabbing in the French Quarter, according to New Orleans Police.

New Orleans Police released surveillance camera footage of the alleged suspects and getaway vehicle on Jan. 23, which are pictured above.

The incident is being investigated as an aggravated battery by cutting and simple robbery, the NOPD said.

Anyone with information on the incident or the identity of the suspects is asked to contact NOPD Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080. Anonymous callers can contact Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 877-903-7867.

Body left in Hard Rock Hotel collapse exposed after tarp falls off, then re-covered; Friday protest planned at City Hall

Hard Rock Hotel collapse site. Photo: Infrogmation | Flickr CC

The body of a victim killed by the Hard Rock Hotel collapse was re-covered by a tarp by New Orleans city crews Wednesday after the previous one blew off and exposed the remains.

Photos of the body showing its legs dangling off the side of the collapsed portion of the hotel emerged on social media earlier this week, sparking outrage.

The hotel partially collapsed on the morning of Oct. 12, killing Anthony Magrette, 49; Quinnyon Wimberly, 36; and Jose Ponce Arreola, 63; and injuring dozens more.

The bodies of Wimberly and Arreola are still trapped inside.

In a Facebook post on Jan. 22, New Orleans Mayor LaToya Cantrell said the conditions of the collapse have deteriorated since October, making access to the remains “extremely difficult and very dangerous.”

She added that the body of one victim is embedded in highly unstable debris 11 stories above street level and adjusting the tarp to re-cover the body again a “significant safety challenge.”

A new, yellow-colored tarp was placed over the body by city crews on the same day, according to WVUE.

Shortly before the body was uncovered, Cantrell took to social media to scold those who took pictures of the exposed body.

The outrage was shared across social media, except it was directed at Cantrell and other officials, as well as the owner of the collapsed site, Mohan Kailas.

A protest reportedly organized by Trey Monaghan will organize in front of the collapse site near the corner of Canal and North Rampart streets Friday afternoon, according to The Gambit, and march to City Hall. The protest starts at 3 p.m.

WGNO reported that 1031 Canal Development LLC, which owns the Hard Rock property, said the city has control of the site.

During a Jan. 17 press conference, Cantrell said the building could be demolished as early as March and added that retrieving the trapped bodies is her “top priority.”

D.H. Griffin Companies will be managing the demolition of the hotel, Cantrell said, and is “more than confident” that the contractor can safely implode the building.

Street closures, traffic controls scheduled for Jan. 22 filming in the French Quarter

Film crew at the Andrew Jackson Hotel in 2016. | Andrew Jackson Hotel Via Facebook

Street closures, traffic controls and parking restrictions are scheduled throughout the French Quarter on Wednesday to accommodate film production.

Danni Productions LLC will be conducting a Jan. 22 film shoot for a television series titled Your Honor, according to notices posted by the Vieux Carre Property Owners, Residents and Associates.

Your Honor is an upcoming Showtime series starring Byran Cranston.

Street closures include:

  • 800 block of St. Peters Street from 6 to 10 a.m.
  • 700 block of Orleans Street from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Streets with intermittent (three to five minutes) traffic control from 6 a.m. and 10 a.m. include:

  • 700 block of St. Peters Street
  • 600 block of Bourbon Street

Streets with no parking from 5 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Jan. 22 include:

  • 700 block of Bourbon Street
  • 800 block of St. Peters Street
  • 800 block of Orleans Street
  • Portion of the 700 block of St. Peters Street
  • Portion of the 600 block of Bourbon Street


Zulu, Endymion parades rerouted around French Quarter due to Hard Rock collapse

Zulu parade in 2013. Photo: Derek Bridges | Flickr CC

The 2020 parades for the krewes of Zulu and Endymion will be rerouted around the French Quarter due to the Hard Rock Hotel collapse, a New Orleans city spokeswoman said on Tuesday.

Routes for Endymion and Zulu were modified this Mardi Gras season for public safety reasons due to the hotel collapse, said spokeswoman LaTonya Norton.

The Hard Rock Hotel partially collapsed on the morning of Oct. 12, killing Anthony Magrette, 49; Quinnyon Wimberly, 36; and Jose Ponce Arreola, 63.

An evacuation zone that prohibits public from passing through includes several streets surrounding the hotel, including the corner of North Rampart and Canal streets, which were traditionally part of the Zulu and Endymion parade routes.

This year’s Endymion parade route, which begins at City Park and Orleans avenue, will pass down Canal Street but hook a right down Elk Street, continue to Poydras Street, then turn left and continue to wind its way through the Central Business District until it reaches Julia Street and Convention Center Boulevard.

Zulu’s parade, which begins at Claiborne and Jackson avenues, will make its way to St. Charles Avenue and turn left on Poydras Street, then right onto Loyola Avenue and continue past Canal Street, completely avoiding the French Quarter.

The parades for Endymion and Zulu begin at 4:15 p.m. on Feb. 22 and 8 a.m. on Feb. 25, respectively.

Maps for the modified routes are available on routewise.nola.gov.

Residents and visitors are also encouraged to text MARDIGRAS to 888777 to receive updates on parade schedules, transportation impacts, public safety, and weather information directly from the city.

Bourbon Street independent record store Skully'z Recordz loses lease, closes Feb. 17

Skully’z Recordz via Facebook.

Skully’z Recordz, an independent record store located on Bourbon Street for the last 13 years, announced Saturday on social media that it will close permanently. The store’s last day is Feb. 17.

According to a Jan. 18 Facebook post by owner Scott Wells, the store lost the lease at its current location at 907 Bourbon Street. It’s unclear where, or if, Wells will relocate the business.

Tour operator known as ‘Voodoo Bone Lady’ accused of shooting man in the French Quarter

The Bone Lady, AKA April Caldwell. Photo: Orleans Parish Sheriff’s Office.

A tour operator in the French Quarter was arrested on Jan. 14 after allegedly shooting a man in the abdomen following a domestic incident on Royal Street, according to various local reports.

April Caldwell, 41, was taken into custody by the New Orleans Police Department shortly after 8:30 p.m. after the shooting, which occurred in the 600 block of Royal Street, according to nola.com.

Caldwell, who runs a walking ghost tour company in the French Quarter under the alias of Voodoo Bone Lady, was charged with one count of aggravated battery.

Caldwell first appearance in the case on Jan. 15 in Orleans Parish Magistrate Court, where she also signed a domestic stay away order, records show.

According to court records, Caldwell’s bond remains in jail on a $100,000 bond.

A family of street performers interviewed by The Times-Picayune | The New Orleans Advocate said they heard Caldwell and another man arguing followed by a gunshot.

The 56-year-old victim, according to police, was reportedly dating Caldwell and was transported to a local hospital after the shooting.

April Caldwell’s alleged arrest on Jan. 14. Photo: Eevie Lisa Ford.

According to Louisiana Secretary of State records, Caldwell runs her company 5-Star Voodoo Bone Lady Haunted Tours under the alias of Onassys Bloomberg at 628 Royal Street.

A progress report is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Feb. 12 in section M4 and a rule to show cause is scheduled for 3 p.m. on March 15 in section M3 in Orleans Parish Magistrate Court, according to court records.