Category: NOPD

‘Quarter for the Quarter’ sales tax approved in April won’t take effect July 1

(Photo: Eric T. Styles)
A new sales tax approved by voters in April won’t go into effect on Thursday, because it has yet to be levied by the French Quarter Economic Development District.

Collection for the .245% sales tax, known as the “quarter for the Quarter” tax, was set to take effect on July 1, but won’t be collected until it is officially levied with official resolution by the French Quarter Economic Development District, according to LaTonya Norton, a New Orleans city spokeswoman.

French Quarter voters approved the tax in a special election on April 24 and is intended to fund public safety services in the district, including additional New Orleans Police patrols.

“The French Quarter Economic Development District (which is made up of the City Council with District C Councilmember Palmer as the authorized representative) has yet to put forth or pass a resolution to levy the tax,” said Norton in a statement issued Wednesday. “As a result, the city does not have legal authority to collect it and businesses within the French Quarter should not begin collecting the tax from their customers until the FQEDD has officially levied the tax.”

The city will notify business owners when to begin collecting the tax after it’s levied by the FQEDD, Norton added.

French Quarter residents approve new public safety tax

Person of interest wanted in connection to battery incident near Molly’s on Decatur Street

(Graphic: Eric T. Styles | Picture: NOPD)
New Orleans Police on Wednesday released a picture of a female who is wanted as a person of interest in connection to an aggravated battery incident that occurred near Molly’s at the Market on Lower Decatur Street last week.

The incident occurred shortly before 11:30 p.m. on May 12 and involved two males and a female, who were not identified, who were involved in a verbal altercation that began at Molly’s and turned physical a block away at the intersection of Dumaine and Decatur streets, according to New Orleans Police.

The males fled in a blue Toyota RAV4 down Dumaine Street and toward North Rampart Street after the incident.

The Toyota RAV4 allegedly seen fleeing the May 12 incident in front of Molly’s on Decatur Street. Courtesy NOPD.

Detectives say the pictured female is not wanted on criminal charges, although they believe she knows the identity of the female suspect involved in the incident, according to New Orleans Police.

Anyone with information regarding the identity and/or whereabouts of the pictured person of interest is asked to contact Eighth District detectives. Anonymous callers can contact Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or Crimestoppers at 877-903-7867. 

Arrest made in Bourbon Street shooting that injured 5 people; 2nd suspect identified

Arrest made in Bourbon Street shooting that injured 5 people; 2nd suspect identified

(Photo: Darran Boykins, left, Dorrell Boykins, right. | NOPD)
A man was arrested on multiple warrants Wednesday and a second suspect was identified in connection to a shooting on Bourbon Street that injured five people last month.

Darran Boykins, 26, pictured left, was located and arrested in Kenner without incident on suspicion of five counts of aggravated battery from the shooting that occurred shortly after 1 a.m. in the 300 block of Bourbon Street, according to New Orleans Police.

The arrest was conducted by New Orleans Police’s Violent Offender Warrant Squad and U.S. Marshals, with assistance from the Kenner Police Department.

Boykins was wanted as a suspect in three additional incidents since March, according to New Orleans Police, including a March 20 aggravated assault incident in the 1700 block of Tonti Street on March 20, an assault and kidnapping incident with a firearm in the 1500 block of Numa Street on March 25 and a shooting in the 2100 block of Jackson Avenue on April 24.

Boykins was booked into Orleans Parish Justice Center on suspicion of several charges, including five counts of aggravated battery and a charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Police have obtained an arrest warrant for 24-year-old Dorrell Boykins who, though an investigation, police identified as a second suspect in the April 25 Bourbon Street shooting.

Anyone with additional information on this incident or on the whereabouts of Dorrell Boykins is asked to contact NOPD Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080. Anonymous callers can contact Crimestoppers of Greater New Orleans at 504-822-1111 or 877-903-7867.

Suspect wanted after victim punched from behind on Bourbon Street

Suspect wanted after victim punched from behind on Bourbon Street

(Photo: NOPD)
The identity of a person is wanted in connection to a simple battery incident in which a victim was punched in the back of the head on Bourbon Street last month, according to New Orleans Police.

NOPD said the incident occurred April 28, shortly before 12 a.m., when police believe the suspect attacked the victim with a closed fist in the 700 block of Bourbon Street.

Police released surveillance camera footage of the incident on May 11 and allegedly shows the suspect, who was wearing a black shirt with a “Ride or Die” logo, black pants and a red bandana or cloth tied around his right hand.

Anyone with information regarding the identity and/or whereabouts of the pictured suspect is asked to contact Eighth District detectives at 504-658-6080. Anonymous callers can contact Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or 877-903-7867. 

Man named “Malik” wanted after 2 people shot near Canal Street and Roosevelt Way

Man named “Malik” wanted after 2 people shot near Canal Street and Roosevelt Way UPDATED

Two people sustained non-life threating gunshot wounds on Sunday following an altercation near the intersection of Canal Street and Roosevelt Way.

The shooting was reported shortly after 12:30 a.m. following a physical altercation near the intersection, according to New Orleans Police, which released the surveillance camera footage May 10 allegedly showing a man wanted in connection to the shooting and who appears to wear a University of Miami “U” shirt.

[Update: 5/13/21, 2:50 a.m.]: Through an investigation, police on May 12 identified Malik Spencer, 23, as a person of interest in this investigation. Spencer is not wanted on criminal charges regarding this incident but believe he has information vital to this investigation and wish to question him, according to Eight District detectives.

“Malik.” Courtesy of NOPD.

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

The May 9 incident marks the second shooting near the intersection in less than a week. In the first incident, on May 5, a male victim was shot in the 900 block of Canal Street shortly before 5 p.m. and later died at a hospital, according to the NOPD. Khutbi Abdelkader, 24, was arrested in connection to the shooting.

UPDATED Man killed in shooting near Canal Street and Roosevelt Way; arrest made