Imagine sitting around your living room with your family during this coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. You just finished a wonderful dinner. Now you’re getting ready to play a board game to keep spirits up. Suddenly, the siren from “The Purge” starts playing full blast outside. As everyone’s heart jumps a few beats, you grab your sidearm, toss the shotgun to your wife, and get ready to defend your castle.
Sounds like a scene out of a movie; well, that’s because it is. But it also actually happened last week in a Louisiana parish.
Sound the Purge Siren!
Last week, Acadia Parish implemented a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Crowley, a part of the parish, had its police drive around and use a siren to alert residents the curfew started. Instead, they alerted residents—at least those who had seen the movie—to get ready for chaos, unknowingly using the siren from the movie “The Purge.” Here’s actual video:
If you’re not familiar with “The Purge,” the 2013 film centers on a family protecting itself during a 12-hour period when all crime—including murder—is legal in America. Most residents stay in and keep safe. Others go out and “hunt.”
When the “purge” begins, a broadcast appears on every TV and ends with the aforementioned siren. Then, it’s game on. It’s a unique concept as a movie, and it’s not a bad flick. But most Americans are already on edge dealing with this coronavirus mess we find ourselves in; the purge siren is probably the last thing anyone wants to hear.
Acadia Parish Sheriff K.P. Gibson immediately apologized for the siren and threw Crowley PD right under the bus.
“Last night a ‘Purge Siren’ was utilized by the Crowley Police Department as part of their starting curfew,” Gibson told KATC3. “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.”
For comparative purposes, here’s “The Purge” announcement and siren from the actual movie. If you see this come on your TV screens, grab the nearest firearm and dig in because it’s going to be a long f*cking night.