NEW ORLEANS — Security video released by the New Orleans Police Department captures the moment a man yelled at a group of burglars on his street and is shot at.
The man, who did not want his name used, told WWL-TV he heard windows being smashed outside and was infuriated with what he saw.
“I opened my door and I yelled, ‘What the (explative)?’ And they ran away,” he said.
He ran down his steps and began to follow some of the group.
“Luckily I tripped and fell right there at the corner and that gave them a little distance, but as I got back up they turned around and I saw a muzzle flash,” he said, adding that he was releived he was not hit.
According to the NOPD, the burglaries happened around 5:20 a.m. on Sunday, as a group of five people strolled down Jena Street at Danneel Street in Uptown, pulling door handles and getting into vehicles along the road.
Story continues below video
The video, captured from a nearby doorbell camera, shows the moment one suspect crawls inside a black SUV and the horn goes off for a moment as they search for valuables to steal.
The owner of the vehicle told WWL-TV he thinks they were trying to disable his car's alarm when they made the noise that alerted him.
The group is seen on the video reacting to the noise and walking away. A few seconds later, the video captures the sound of a man yelling after them from off camera.
Then, gunshots.
The man said he won’t ever try to stop a crime in progress again.
“They can take whatever they want as long as it’s not my life,” he said.
Anyone with information is encouraged to call NOPD detectives at 504-658-6020 or call anonymously to Crimestoppers at 504-822-1111 or toll-free at 1-877-903-STOP.
The break-ins and attack are the latest in an upward trend of large-scale vehicle burglaries around the see. (See below)
► Get breaking news from your neighborhood delivered directly to you by downloading the new FREE WWL-TV News app now in the IOS App Store or Google Play.
