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WATCH: Baton Rouge street racers swarmed parts of New Orleans, shut down roads this weekend

1 year 10 months 1 week ago Monday, June 06 2022 Jun 6, 2022 June 06, 2022 10:31 PM June 06, 2022 in News
Source: WBRZ

Warning: Video contains explicit content

NEW ORLEANS - Street racers from the capital area helped stage a "takeover" in New Orleans during the weekend where rowdy crowds were seen brandishing guns in one part of the city and jumping on a police vehicle in another area of town.

The stunts were chronicled on videos taken around the New Orleans area Sunday. Posts on social media also showed cars doing donuts as onlookers watched from just feet away, one video showing a person struck by a vehicle.

Orleans Parish District Attorney Jason Williams is teaming up with East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore. Williams released this statement Tuesday:

“I strongly agree with Supt. Shaun Ferguson about the need to charge these illegal stunt drivers and organizers of street racing events under state statutes in order to demand stiffer penalties. From Day 1, my top priority has been to increase safety in our city. For those who organized the brazen criminal acts committed on our streets on Sunday, and for anyone who participated in any way - whether with cars or firearms - my office will not hesitate to hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law. These events were reckless and dangerous. I have already begun working with DA Hillar Moore of East Baton Rouge Parish, where many of the perpetrators apparently reside, to explore a strategy to charge these individuals in multiple jurisdictions."

New Orleans Police said during a news conference Monday that it appeared drivers from outside the city were largely responsible for the stunts. 

"There's no way in hell we should be allowing anyone to come into our city and rule our city," NOPD Superintendent Shaun Ferguson said. 

               

A virtual flyer shared on social media over the weekend listed off multiple car groups tied to the Baton Rouge area. Among those groups was the Highway Demons, which was linked to similar stunts that shut down College Drive April 30 as scores of drivers were leaving Garth Brooks' Tiger Stadium concert. 

A driver tied to that group was arrested that same night after he allegedly fled police and T-boned another vehicle while running a red light, killing a woman

Since then, Baton Rouge police have arrested another driver tied to the College Drive shutdown and other accused street racers tied to similar activity around the Baton Rouge area.

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