Louisiana police in the city of Crowley are in hot water after they signalled the beginning of a COVID-19 curfew in Acadia Parish with the siren sound from The Purge.
The dystopian horror series is based on the premise that for 12 hours on one day a year, all crimes (including murder) become legal. Anyone who has seen the films will recognize the siren that marks the beginning of that 12-hour "holiday."
So when that siren sounded out in Crowley late last week, some residents were understandably spooked.
A spokesperson for the Acadia sheriff's department shifted the blame to the Crowley police force in a statement.
"Last night a 'Purge Siren' was utilized by the Crowley Police Department as part of their starting curfew," the statement reads. "We have received numerous complaints with the belief that our agency was involved in this process. We were not involved in the use of the 'Purge Siren' and will not utilize any type of siren for this purpose."
"Calls regarding this matter should be directed to the Crowley Police/Chief Broussard and not the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office," it concluded.
Crowley police chief Jimmy Broussard told KATC that he had no idea the siren used was associated with The Purge, and that they did not intend to use any sirens to signal curfew hours going forward.
The state of Louisiana is currently under stay-at-home orders and non-essential businesses have closed down in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Watch clips of the poor choice of sound effects below.
The dystopian horror series is based on the premise that for 12 hours on one day a year, all crimes (including murder) become legal. Anyone who has seen the films will recognize the siren that marks the beginning of that 12-hour "holiday."
So when that siren sounded out in Crowley late last week, some residents were understandably spooked.
A spokesperson for the Acadia sheriff's department shifted the blame to the Crowley police force in a statement.
"Last night a 'Purge Siren' was utilized by the Crowley Police Department as part of their starting curfew," the statement reads. "We have received numerous complaints with the belief that our agency was involved in this process. We were not involved in the use of the 'Purge Siren' and will not utilize any type of siren for this purpose."
"Calls regarding this matter should be directed to the Crowley Police/Chief Broussard and not the Acadia Parish Sheriff's Office," it concluded.
Crowley police chief Jimmy Broussard told KATC that he had no idea the siren used was associated with The Purge, and that they did not intend to use any sirens to signal curfew hours going forward.
The state of Louisiana is currently under stay-at-home orders and non-essential businesses have closed down in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus.
Watch clips of the poor choice of sound effects below.
