Bullseye on Bourbon

Black and white...and red: The admonition a weekend ago by a top NOPD commander to keep an eye out for "young males...likely carrying guns" turned out to be partially right this past weekend when gunfire erupted twice on Bourbon Street.

The only difference: Crime is colorblind; one shooter was white and one was black. Both spilled blood.

Early Sunday (7.10.11) morning around 3:45 a.m., a 25-year-old white gun-toting guy from New Iberia went berserk, wounding a bar's bouncer and winding up being gunned down dead by a NOPD 8th District cop.

According to police, Justin Schaubert was in the Bourbon Street Blues Company, 441 Bourbon St., and was asked by bouncers to button up his completely unbuttoned shirt or to leave the club. Schaubert took umbrage, pulled his gun, and fled the club on foot, pursued by several bouncers into the 500 block of Bourbon (between St. Louis and Toulouse streets).

[Believe it or not, there appears to have been two "Justin Schaubert"s, both from New Iberia. Friends and lovers of the fella in the picture we published last week from his Facebook page claim he is not the one involved in the shooting; they say this picture from the obituary published in the Daily Iberian newspaper is the dead one. We are awaiting further confirmation from the surviving Justin Schaubert.]

According to Katy Reckdahl's piece in the T-P, Schaubert had "flashed his large-caliber gun inside several Bourbon Street clubs" before going into the Bourbon Street Blues Company, even trying "at another club to get a Jell-O shot without paying by showing the gun tucked into his waistband."

Schaubert began firing at the bouncers, grazing one in the back of the head. Hearing the gunfire, Ofc. Brian Bordes responded and was also fired upon as Schaubert rolled to the ground, still pointing his weapon at Bordes. The officer let go a tap-tap and struck Schaubert at least twice with bullets.

Schaubert died at the scene; the 33-year-old bouncer was in good condition, lucky the bullet he took was not an inch or two either way.

On Friday (7.8.11) night shortly after 11 p.m., 2 black guys--one armed by the other--opened fire on a crowd in front of the Krystal burger joint on Bourbon just off Canal Street, striking 2 men.

A 19-year-old sustained a graze gunshot wound to his right abdomen, and a 51-year-old sustained a gunshot wound to his left forearm.

By Wednesday (7.13.11) 8th District detective John Ball had identified Michael F. Fulton, 21, as the suspect who passed the gun to the shooter. He was arrested at a residence at 1952 N. Tonti St. and was booked around 2 p.m. into Central Lockup, charged with 2 counts of aggravated battery. He is being held on $200,000 bond.

He has already forfeited a bond for failing to appear 6.14.11 on a second possession of marijuana charge. Fulton has prior arrests for illegal possession of marijuana, criminal trespass, resisting arrest and theft.

Fulton is not cooperating with police in naming his accomplice, the shooter, who is still at large. Police say he is in his 20's, 5'9" to 6" tall, weighing 180 pounds with a medium build, wearing a black cap, black shirt, blue jean shorts, and white shoes. He was firing a black semi-automatic handgun.

Caught on tape: 8th District detectives have found video surveillance tapes recorded in the 600 block of Barracks Street that they believe show the getaway car in a robbery in that block and 3 other robberies last week.

The robber was described as a black guy, 5'9" to 6' tall, with a medium build, covering his face with a black bandana and armed with a black handgun, wearing a black hooded sweatshirt.

The getaway vehicle was believed to be a white-colored newer model Dodge Durango. The video footage showed the SUV driving toward the robbery and then backing down the street against traffic after the robbery toward Chartres Street.

The suspect and vehicle were believed involved in these 4 robberies, 3 of them last Thursday (7.7.11):

• 635 Barracks St., 4:50 a.m.: A white couple, he 29, she 21, were sitting on their porch when a black robber came up, pulled a pistol and demanded their money.

• 1900 Burgundy St., 3:00 a.m.: Two white women, one 20, the other 22, were walking down the street when the black robber pulled his pistol and demanded their money. They complied and he told them to run away.

• St. Charles Avenue & Jena Street, 5:30 a.m.: Investigated by the NOPD 2nd District.

• 1300 Ursulines Ave., 3:15 a.m., the day before, on Wednesday (7.6.11): Investigated by the NOPD 1st District.
  

What's this all about?: A 43-year-old white man was walking past the Walgreen's at 619 Decatur St. last Friday (7.8.11) night around 9:30 p.m. when a black punk intentionally bumped into him, armed with a pocket knife. The assailant stabbed the victim on the left side of his neck and wrist when the victim tried to push him away.

The victim was treated at LSU Interim Public Hospital. Police arrested Robert Corum, 22, and charged him with aggravated battery. He is being held in OPP on a $30,000 bond.

Blacks are victims too: Last Saturday (7.9.11) afternoon around 4:15 p.m. a 13-year-old black boy was standing near Bourbon and Canal streets holding a bag containing tennis shoes he had just bought there at Foot Locker. Up came another black boy on a bicycle who asked if he could try on the victim's new shoes. The victim refused and the biker grabbed the bag containing the shoes and fled on his bike.

The thief was described as 5'8" tall, wearing black and yellow gym shorts.

Even blacks are not immune from crime.

* * *
Crimes last week in the 8th District

Sunday (7.3.11)

Armed Robbery, 400 Loyola, 1:59 a.m.
Theft, 500 Bourbon, 2:26 a.m.
Shoplifting, 107 Chartres, 5:55 a.m.
Theft, 116 University, 6:01 a.m.
Theft, 135 Chartres, 7:24 a.m.
Rape, 334 O'Keefe, 11:23 a.m.
Armed Robbery, 100 Exchange Pl, 2:13 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 600 Decatur, 5:16 p.m.
Theft, 440 Bourbon, 10:22 p.m.
Auto Theft, 1100 Burgundy, 11:03 p.m.

Monday (7.4.11)

Auto Burglary, 1500 Sugar Bowl, 3:32 a.m.
Theft, 310 Carondelet, 12:19 p.m.
Theft, 850 Convention Center, 1:44 p.m.
Business Burglary, 823 St Louis, 3:19 p.m.
Auto Theft, N Diamond & Tchoupitoulas, 3:25 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 900 Common, 4:07 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Bourbon & Canal, 4:50 p.m.
Armed Robbery, Loyola & Tulane, 11:56 p.m.

Tuesday (7.5.11)

Auto Theft, Julia & S Peters, 12:05 a.m.
Simple Robbery, Frenchmen & Royal, 3:13 a.m.
Theft , 600 St Ann St, 2:28 p.m.
Auto Theft, 600 N Rampart St, 3:46 p.m.
Shoplifting (attempt), 1021 Decatur St, 6:06 p.m.

Wednesday (7.6.11)

Theft, 801 Royal, 9:48 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, Dauphine & St Louis, 12:02 p.m.
Shoplifting, 917 Decatur, 2:57 p.m.
Auto Theft, 920 Frenchmen, 11:03 p.m.

Thursday (7.7.11)

Residence Burglary, 920 Frenchmen, 1:06 a.m.
Armed Robbery, 1900 Burgundy, 3:17 a.m.
Armed Robbery, 635 Barracks, 4:55 a.m.
Auto Theft, 427 S Rampart, 9:03 a.m.
Theft, 843 Camp, 9:56 a.m.
Shoplifting, 619 Decatur, 3:04 p.m.
Business Burglary, 600 Bourbon, 4:03 p.m.
Theft, 717 Canal, 4:13 p.m.
Auto Theft, 1000 Magazine, 10:29 p.m.

Friday (7.8.11)

Theft, 300 Decatur, 1:28 a.m.
Shoplifting, 1415 Tulane, 9:38 a.m.
Theft, 204 St Charles, 5:09 p.m.
Aggravated Battery, 619 Decatur, 9:35 p.m.
Shooting, 100 Bourbon, 10:54 p.m.
Theft, 700 Bourbon, 11:24 p.m.

Saturday (7.9.11)

Business Burglary, 441 Royal, 12:52 a.m.
Theft, 242 Bourbon, 1:38 a.m.
Theft, 225 Bourbon, 5:16 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 820 Poydras, 10:20 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Girod & St Charles, 11:19 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 820 Poydras, 11:23 a.m.
Simple Robbery, Bourbon & Canal, 4:15 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 300 N Rampart, 5:53 p.m.
Theft, 135 St Charles, 7:15 p.m.

* * *

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com

Thom Kahler

Cops creating crime

Hooker lookers: You can tell the crime rate is down when the police have to concoct a prostitution sting to keep cops busy. That's what the NOPD did a couple of weeks ago, recruiting some of their finest-looking (one would hope) female cops to pose as prostitutes and prance along Chef Menteur, Tulane Avenue, and Airline Drive to lure testosterone-driven drivers into committing a crime.

The cops did manage to arrest 29 of the 48 men they stopped on misdemeanor charges, including one of their own.

Interestingly in that case, the off-duty cop pulled his badge for no one knows why--but wouldn't he have been performing his duty if he had arrested the female cop? She, after all, was claiming to be a hooker--or is the guilt upon the one who mentions money first?

No word on why the cops didn't zero in on the French Quarter hookers or those who've made the LaQuinta hotel in the CBD headquarters for rolling tourists.

Next thing you know, they'll have NOPD officers going on the Internet, like Kenner Kops do, posing as 14-year-old girls trying to lure those who like'em young into crime.

If NOPD cops have so much time on their hands, why not tackle some of the problems that really matter to the people of New Orleans, such as car thefts or graffiti?

• 14 cars were stolen in the French Quarter and CBD last week alone--when was the last time you heard of the police catching a car thief?

• Graffiti murals covering the Lower Quarter and Marigny Triangle are of such size that they must have taken hours to do--without ever being disturbed by a patrolling cop. Add to that all the tags that've been scribbled onto signs to the point of making the signs unreadable.
  

Like detention hall?: The cop mentioned above who was snared in the prostitution sting was put on unpaid leave, as was Cmdr. Edwin Hosli for forming a company to process paid details. But the mother-son cop duo who were caught on video tape roughing up a bouncer on Basin Street were assigned to desk duty.

What?! Who makes those decisions? Cops who are charged with violent crimes keep their job and keep getting paychecks, but cops accused of minor infractions have to figure out how to pay their bills while the jury is out on their fate?

You hear repeatedly about officers being assigned to "desk duty." What is that? It seems like there are so many cops on "desk duty" that it conjures up visions of school detention hall.

It makes you think of Bart Simpson writing on the blackboard 5,000 times: "Before I act inappropriately I will check for security cameras."

There was crime: Seems like every time I take a little time off the rumors start swirling that I've dropped dead, or a few years ago at the height of my tussles with Big Chief Riley that I'd been shot. But no such luck. There really has been a dearth of crime in the last few weeks, but just for the record, here goes:

• Magazine Street: Usually tame and peaceful Magazine Street in the CBD was hit twice within one week by robbers:

• Saturday (6.18.11) 1:40 p.m.: An 18-year-old white woman was walking on Magazine near Gravier Street when a black thug grabbed her purse and ran.

He was described as 5'7" tall, weighing 185 pounds, wearing a blue stripped polo shirt, dark pants and a dark-colored baseball cap.

• Wednesday (6.22.11) 6:35 p.m.: A 27-year-old white woman was getting into her parked car at 833 Magazine when a black guy pointed a gun at her and demanded her purse and laptop computer. She complied and he told her to walk away.

He was only described as having short hair and wearing a baggy white T-shirt and blue jeans.

• Monday (6.20.11) 3:00 a.m.: A white couple, he 24, she 21, were crossing the street at Baronne and Perdido streets when a car roared up at a high-rate of speed and stopped. The pedestrians got into a shouting match with the 2 men inside, and then the passenger pulled out a handgun and fired several shots. No one was hit by the gunfire.

The victims were unable to give a detailed description of their assailants and will be interviewed again by detectives. Wanna bet the victims know more than they're telling?

• Tuesday (6.21.11) 8:30 a.m.: A former female worker, apparently with a grudge of some sort, went through the back door to the Checkered Parrot, 132 Royal St., with a black male friend and went straight to the owner's office. The duo each pulled a gun on the owner and demanded money.

A fight broke out between the owner and the black dude, then the woman allegedly beat the victim on the head. The 2 left with cash and the victim was treated at Tulane University Hospital where he was reported in good condition.

Detectives issued a warrant for Tresheen Wilson, 24, and arrested her 2 days later, charged with armed robbery and 2nd-degree battery. She is being held in OPP on $400,000 bond.

• Tuesday (6.21.11) 7:50 p.m.: A 28-year-old white woman walking on Girod Street near Carondelet Street when she was accosted by a black punk who lifted his shirt to show her he was armed with a handgun, demanding her iPhone, then grabbed her purse from her shoulder. He fled on foot down Carondelet.

The robber was described as 20 to 25 years old, 5'9" tall, with a thin build and short hair, wearing a white T-shirt and dark pants.

• Friday (6.24.11) 5:45 a.m.: A black thug armed with a handgun stuck up The Ninth Circle bar, 700 N. Rampart St., taking an untold amount of money from the cash register.

The robber was described as 5'9" to 5'10" tall, weighing 170 to 180 pounds, with short curly hair, and dark-colored jeans.

• Saturday (6.25.11) 2:35 a.m.: A black couple, he 25, she 19, were sitting in a car in the 500 block of N. Rampart, near St. Louis Street, when they got into an argument with a black dude. Words turned to violence and man outside the car picked up a broken beer bottle or pulled a knife (depending on which NOPD report you believe) and allegedly stabbed both victims in the car. The man received a laceration on his arm and the woman suffered cuts to the right side of her neck and breast.

Police arrested Anthony P. Williams, 21, and charged him with 2 counts of aggravated 2nd-degree battery. He's being held in OPP on $15,000 bond after skipping out on a $20,000 bond for another 2nd-degree battery he was arrested for in April.

• Saturday (6.25.11) 2:35 a.m.: A 34-year-old white man sitting in the Jax Brewery Bar, 640 Decatur St., was clobbered with a bar stool by another white guy who fled on foot.

Police later arrested Christopher Ramage, 27, and charged him with aggravated 2nd-degree battery. Commissioner Robert Blackburn did him a favor and preset his bond at $10,000 so Ramage was able to whisk through Central Lockup and out the door.

• Wednesday (6.29.11) 7:15 p.m.: A gang of black thugs descended on a white woman walking on Common Street near Carondelet Street and grabbed her iPhone from her hand before fleeing on foot.

Detectives tracked the iPhone and later recovered it, but are still looking for the perps described as all wearing white T-shirts and shorts, one 5'3" tall, with a stocky build and braided hair; on 5'10" tall, with a thin build and braided hair; one 6' tall, weighing 170 pounds.

• Saturday (7.2.11) 10:45 p.m.: A 49-year-old white man inside The Old Opera House, 601 Bourbon St., was struck on the head by a black guy. The bouncer noticed blood flowing from the victim's head and saw the attacker flee the club and discard a knife on the ground. The victim was taken to Tulane University Hospital where he was in critical condition.

Police said Anthony A. Vaughn Jr., 23, was arrested a short time later when he allegedly attempted to call in a bogus armed robbery report. He was charged with attempted murder and is being held in OPP on $150,000 bond.

You call this "crime prevention"? Super Chief Ronal Serpas was on WDSU this morning raving about new crime prevention efforts where a sergeant and 3 officers go door-to-door and knock on doors to introduce themselves. But it may not be working as well as he thinks it is.

The contingent must have come by my place yesterday afternoon because a CrimeStoppers door hanger was on the gate. They didn't ring my buzzer and the business card paperclipped to the hanger that said "NOTICE Today, New Orleans Police Officer_______________walked the beat in your neighborhood" was blank where the officer's name should have been filled in.

Can't tell you how secure that makes me feel--I mean a police officer who can't bother with little details. Perhaps Serpas ought to keep a better on eye on what his officers are doing before he goes bragging.

Mapped out: We've stopped displaying the 8th District crime map on NOcrimeline.com because the new map the district is now using is virtually useless.

The 8th District use to have perhaps the best crime map of any of the NOPD's districts, with each 100 block marked and icons distinctly identifying different types of crimes.

The new map is a grid showing no street names, except those on the perimeter of the district, and crimes are marked only by colored dots.

Instead, we'll publish the excellent lists of crimes compiled by the 8th District's Comstat officer, Brian Shubert, as displayed below.

* * *
Recent crimes in the 8th District

Sunday (6.12.11)

Simple Robbery, 400 Dauphine, 12:25 a.m.
Simple Robbery, 500 Burgundy, 12:37 a.m.
Simple Robbery, 800 St Louis, 3:40 a.m.
Aggravated Battery, 800 Conti, 6:33 a.m.
Theft, 257 Bourbon, 11:48 a.m.
Theft, 910 Convention Center, 11:47 a.m.
Shoplifting, 134 Royal, 2:28 p.m.
Theft, 700 Commerce, 7:27 p.m.

Monday (6.13.11)

Theft, 806 Conti, 5:50 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 428 Bourbon, 4:08 p.m.
Theft, 833 Poydras, 5:15 p.m.

Tuesday (6.14.11)

Armed Robbery, 900 Chartres , 12:34 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 500 St Charles, 7:50 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 739 Canal, 10:52 a.m.
Auto Theft, 1000 John Churchill Chase, 3:24 p.m.
Theft, 344 St Joseph, 5:05 p.m.
Theft, 616 Esplanade, 5:20 p.m.
Auto Burglary, Burgundy & Iberville, 5:46 p.m.
Pursesnatching, 800 Burgundy, 1:41 p.m.

Wednesday (6.15.11)

Auto Burglary, S Rampart & Tulane, 11:38 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 148 Carondelet, 3:30 p.m.
Theft, 316 Magazine, 4:42 p.m.
Simple Robbery, Barracks & N Rampart, 11:33 p.m.

Thursday (6.16.11)

Auto Theft, 927 Poeyfarre, 9:36 a.m.
Theft, 1012 Toulouse, 10:55 a.m.
Theft, 344 Camp, 10:46 p.m.

Friday (6.17.11)

Auto Theft, Julia & O'Keefe, 6:38 p.m.

Saturday (6.18.11)

Auto Burglary, 800 St Louis, 12:30 a.m.
Pursesnatching, 300 Magazine, 1:40 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 700 Fulton, 2:48 a.m.
Simple Robbery, Burgundy & Canal, 3:53 a.m.
Theft, 501 Dauphine, 7:30 a.m.
Theft, 865 St Charles, 9:13 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, Decatur & Esplanade, 11:32 a.m.
Auto Theft, 200 Clinton, 1:15 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 200 S Rampart, 1:20 p.m.
Shoplifting, 1124 Decatur, 1:30 p.m.

Sunday (6.19.11)

Auto Burglary, 1500 Girod, 12:35 a.m.
Theft, 630 Bourbon, 3:18 a.m.
Auto Theft, Frenchmen & St Claude, 10:16 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Conti & N Rampart, 12:17 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 732 Camp, 3:28 p.m.
Shoplifting, 620 Decatur, 6:29 p.m.

Monday (6.20.11)

Theft, 624 Bourbon, 12:58 a.m.
Theft, 711 Bourbon, 2:39 a.m.
Aggravated Battery, Baronne & Perdido, 3:04 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Baronne & Union, 7:17 a.m.
Theft, 200 N Peters, 9:39 a.m.
Theft, 300 Bourbon, 12:15 p.m.
Pickpocketing, 441 Bourbon, 3:30 p.m.
Shoplifting, 717 Canal, 5:59 p.m.

Tuesday (6.21.11)

Armed Robbery, 132 Royal, 8:29 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 1500 Poydras, 1:05 p.m.
Auto Theft, Burgundy & St Peter, 4:30 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, 931 Gov Nicholls, 5:08 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 700 Girod, 7:54 p.m.

Wednesday (6.22.11)

Auto Burglary, 528 Chartres, 8:21 a.m.
Theft, 1 Canal, 10:11 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, Poydras & S Rampart, 3:53 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 200 Burgundy, 4:27 p.m.
Armed Robbery, 833 Magazine, 6:39 p.m.

Thursday (6.23.11)

Theft, 827 Toulouse, 2:00 a.m.
Theft, 1101 N Peters, 11:18 a.m.
Theft, 721 St Philip, 11:21 a.m.
Shoplifting, 814 Canal, 12:24 p.m.
Bicycle theft, 100 Royal, 1:18 p.m.
Auto Theft, Cleveland & S Robertson, 4:52 p.m.
Theft, 134 Royal, 5:11 p.m.
Auto Theft, 800 Dauphine, 6:04 p.m.
Theft, 614 Canal, 9:28 p.m.
Theft, 859 Convention Center, 9:47 p.m.

Friday (6.24.11)

Theft, 441 Bourbon, 3:09 a.m.
Theft, 416 Bourbon, 4:11 a.m.
Armed Robbery, 700 N Rampart, 5:49 a.m.
Theft, 116 Carondelet, 9:13 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Girod & Loyola, 5:17 p.m.
Theft, Poydras & S Rampart, 5:36 p.m.

Saturday (6.25.11)

Aggravated Battery, 640 Decatur, 2:34 a.m.
Aggravated Battery, 500 N Rampart, 3:49 a.m.
Auto Theft, 621 St Louis, 11:05 a.m.
Shoplifting, 134 Royal, 3:28 p.m.
Theft, Canal & Royal, 9:38 p.m.
Theft, 911 Decatur, 11:13 p.m.

Sunday (6.26.11)

Auto Burglary, Conti & Decatur, 3:16 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 800 Tchoupitoulas, 3:54 a.m.
Auto Theft, 920 Poeyfarre, 10:12 a.m.
Theft, 1280 Convention Center, 1:14 p.m.
Auto Theft, Burgundy & Conti, 1:29 p.m.
Shoplifting , 600 Decatur, 2:57 p.m.
Auto Theft, 700 Touro, 11:38 p.m.

Monday (6.27.11)

Auto Theft, 100 Conti, 4:26 a.m.
Business Burglary, 511 St Louis, 8:30 a.m.
Auto Theft, 2000 Royal, 9:26 a.m.
Theft, 625 St Joseph, 10:12 a.m.
Auto Theft, 800 Decatur, 10:50 a.m.
Theft, 240 Bourbon, 11:28 a.m.
Auto Burglary, Dauphine & Ursullines, 4:29 p.m.

Tuesday (6.28.11)

Theft, 200 Bourbon, 3:21 a.m.
Auto Burglary, 800 Camp, 6:01 a.m.
Shoplifting, 134 Royal, 9:35 a.m.
Auto Theft, Bienville & Burgundy, 4:46 p.m.

Wednesday (6.29.11)

Auto Theft, 838 Esplanade, 10:34 a.m.
Bicycle Theft, 112 Royal, 11:16 a.m.
Simple Robbery, 800 Common, 7:31 p.m.

Thursday (6.30.11)

Auto Theft, 300 Burgundy, 4:24 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 400 Dauphine, 4:38 a.m.
Theft, 500 Port of New Orleans, 12:17 p.m.
Theft, 600 Carondelet, 3:20 p.m.
Auto Burglary, 1500 Poydras, 4:05 p.m.

Friday (7.1.11)

Theft, 1 Canal St, 12:35 p.m.
Auto Theft, 900 S Peters , 1:40 p.m.
Theft, 900 Convention Center, 2:11 p.m.
Bicycle Theft, Loyola & Tulane Ave, 4:44 p.m.
Auto Theft, 1542 Tulane Ave, 6:13 p.m.
Auto Theft, 300 Dauphine St, 10:51 p.m.

Saturday (7.2.11)

Pursesnatching, Gaiennie & S Peters, 4:00 a.m.
Theft, 730 Orleans Ave, 6:43 a.m.
Pickpocketing, 555 Canal St, 4:17 p.m.
Auto Theft, Decatur & St Peter St, 6:05 p.m.
Auto Theft, Royal & Toulouse St, 7:37 p.m.
Theft, 555 Canal St, 7:48 p.m.
Attempted Murder, 601 Bourbon St, 10:48 p.m.

* * *

As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com

Thom Kahler

Telling it like it is

Calling a spade a spade: So Cmdr. Eddie Selby gets in hot water because one of his officers didn't like him pointing out the obvious: The bad guys are probably young black males. The subordinate goes whining to a superior that Selby is using "racial profiling"; Selby gets pulled off his post and is reassigned to headquarters.

According to the Times-Picayune, during roll call Friday night (7.1.11) as the Essence Festival kicked off, Selby--commander of Special Operations, charged with keeping the teeming throngs safe on the streets--tells over 30 patrolmen and ranking officers before deploying them on their beats "to look for young black males sitting on stoops because they are responsible for recent armed robberies and are likely carrying guns."

Was Selby right? You're damn right he was. Here are the robberies that happened over the weekend where Essence Fest was happening in the French Quarter, CBD, and Marigny Triangle. ALL were committed by black men; all the victims were black, except for one:

• Saturday (7.2.11) 3:55 a.m.: A black thug snatches the purse out of the grasp of a 21-year-old black woman who was walking on Gaiennie and S. Peters streets, near the Convention Center.

He is described as 5'8" tall, weighing 160 pounds, with short hair, wearing a gray tank top and dark shorts.

• Sunday (7.3.11) 1:55 a.m.: Two black hoodlums pull a pistol on a 31-year-old black man walking on Loyola Avenue near Gravier Street and empty his pockets.

One is 20 to 25 years old, 6'1" tall, weighing 190 to 200 pounds, with dreadlocks, wearing a black sweatshirt and black jeans; the other is 5'8" to 5'9" tall, weighing 200 to 250 pounds, also wearing a black sweatshirt and black jeans.

• Sunday (7.3.11) 2:05 p.m.: Two black dudes robbed a black couple, he 35, she 31, who were walking in the 100 block of Exchange Place near Canal Street. One of the robbers pulled a pistol and demanded the man's gold chain and Rolex watch, then told the victims to turn and walk away.

They described both robbers as 25 to 35 years old and 6' tall, one with a heavy build and short hair, wearing a white T-shirt and dark shorts; the other with a thin build, wearing a dark cap and dark shorts.

• Monday (7.4.11) 4:05 p.m.: 8th District cops arrested Marcus Hayes, 35, after he accosted a 41-year-old black man on Common Street, between O'Keefe Avenue and Barrone Street. Hayes allegedly showed him a handgun in his waistband and demanded the victim's money. The victim said he didn't have any and Hayes fled on foot.

Hayes was charged with attempted armed robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, and illegal carrying of a weapon. He is being held in OPP on $80,000 bond.

• Monday (7.4.11) 10:50 p.m.: A gang of 4 black thugs robbed an 18-year-old black fella who was sitting on the library steps at Loyola and Tulane avenues. One asked to use the victim's cellphone while a second pulled a pistol and demanded the victim's money; a third took the victim's wallet from his pants pocket; the other told the victim to walk away.

The robbers were described as: one 5'11" tall, with a thin build, wearing a white T-shirt and dark shorts; the second as 5'8" tall, with a thin build, wearing dark shorts and no shirt; the third as 6' tall, with a muscular build, wearing dark shorts; the fourth as 5'8" tall, with a thin build, wearing a black T-shirt.

• Tuesday (7.5.11) 3:15 a.m.: A 28-year-old white guy sitting in the 700 block of Frenchmen Street near Washington Square Park had his iPad snatched from his hands by a young punk who fled in a red 4-door pickup truck toward St. Claude Avenue.

Police caught up with Ernest Jarreau, 17, and charged him with simple robbery. He is being held in OPP on $15,000 bond.

If you're going to be a cop, you've got to be able to tell black from white, male from female, young from old, tall from short, fat from thin. Personally, I'd find out who it is who was offended by Selby's comment and fire them--they just indicated to me that they're too colorblind to see who the criminals are.

Chief Ronald Serpas' flak, Remi Braden, said the accusations against Selby call into "question a commander's ability to lead professionally, fair and therefore, effectively." And she added, "Discriminatory language is not tolerated in the NOPD."

I guess if you're a professional flak paid big bucks to make everything sound politically correct, you've got to say crap like that.

But I can tell you this: In my myriad of private and public conversations with Lt. Selby (so many phone calls that my wife jokingly accused us of carrying on an affair), I never, never heard him make a disparaging remark about a suspect (or black person--virtually the same in my book).

Selby, a New Orleans cop since 1975, hates crime and is dedicated to apprehending criminals. His favorite saying after a bust: "We got'em!"

He is one of the most effective cops in the NOPD. Numerous tales abound on how he's tracked down criminals and coaxed them to confess, even so far as getting down on his knees with a suspect and "going to Jesus" to get them to admit guilt.

About 6 months after Selby came to the 8th District as head of investigations, the district was plagued by nearly 2 dozen armed robberies in July of 2007, with 2/3 of them in the Lower Quarter and Marigny Triangle. Selby responded by transforming his entire squad of detectives into a plainclothes taskforce to patrol the streets at night. Within less than 2 weeks, robberies dropped dramatically.

It was a brilliant stroke on Chief Serpas' part to appoint Selby as commander of the Special Operations Division, to utilize his talents on a broader scale to reduce crime in the city.

I'll tell you what: You don't want him there, we'd love to have him back in the 8th District.

(Unfortunately, Selby resigned after 36 years on the NOPD late Wednesday, effective 7.7.11)

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As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com

Thom Kahler

One-man crime wave

Temper, temper: It may have been Nathan Smesny's idea of a hot time in the old town, but his victims would probably disagree.

Smesny, 24, began the night around 12:25 a.m. Sunday (6.12.11) when he allegedly beat a guy senseless on Burgundy Street near St. Louis Street to get his wallet by repeatedly bashing him in the face. The victim finally gave it up, and the robber and his black buddy with him took off on St. Louis toward N. Rampart Street.

Later in the morning, around 6:30 a.m., police responded to a reported fight at what's believed to be the Roundup Bar, 819 St. Louis. According to the police, after speaking with the 2 victims, officers learned that Smesny went into the bar, got into an argument with the 2 men, and then smacked one along the head with a beer bottle and stabbed the other in the left arm with the broken off bottle.

(The NOPD gives so little information, like no age, sex or race of the victim, no identification of the scene of a crime, and even misspelling the alleged perp's name, it's a wonder they make any arrests at all. C'mon Chief, kick some butt in your Public Information Office!)

Using a citizen's surveillance video (shown above), Smesny and his cohort were shown walking in the 500 block of Burgundy just before 12:30 a.m., about the time the man was robbed of his wallet in almost the exact same location.

8th District detectives, led by Sgt. Nick Gernon, retrieved the video tape and used it to identify Smesny as the perp in both crimes.

Smesny was charged with simple battery and pursesnatching for the robbery on Burgundy, and charged with 2 counts of aggravated battery for the bar fight. He is being held in OPP on $80,000 bond. According to the NOPD, Smesny has prior arrests for aggravated battery, disturbing the peace, criminal damage to property, resisting arrest, criminal trespass.

Detectives are trying to identify Smesny's accomplice who is pictured in the video with him. They believe Smesny is responsible for several other robberies in the French Quarter area.

Who said drugs wouldn't hurt you?: A couple of guys who should have been old enough to know better but whose pasts were littered with mostly drug arrests and convictions, finally snapped and turned violent:

• Friday (6.10.11) 12:30 a.m.: A guy got into an argument with another guy on Bourbon Street near St. Louis Street. As the tiff escalated, the suspect picked up a beer bottle and went after the other guy.

A cop witnessing the whole thing arrested Lemar (or Lamar, in some records) Goodman, 42, and charged him with simple battery and aggravate assault. Goodman has a long history of arrests dating back 23 years to 1988 when he was 19, mostly for drugs.

• Saturday (6.11.11) 4:40 a.m.: A black guy came up to Babe's Cabaret, a strip club at 433 Bourbon St., and got into an argument with a girl hustling her wares in the doorway and wound up striking her.

The bouncer, who was standing right there, asked him why he hit her (did it matter why?). The guy pulled a knife and went after the bouncer.

A cop saw the incident and arrested George Ladd, 42, for simple battery and aggravated battery. He is being held in OPP on $27,500 bond. Ladd has served prison terms for possession of crack cocaine and for attempted robbery.

"Simple" robberies, sort of: They call them "simple" robberies, as opposed to armed robberies, because no weapon is used. But these are the crimes where--even though the robbers are usually only after your purse, wallet or cellphone--they're likely to slug you or throw you to the ground:

• Wednesday (6.15.11) 11:30 p.m.: A 28-year-old white man walking near Barracks and N. Rampart streets was robbed by 2 black thugs. One knocked him to the ground and took his wallet and cellphone. The robbers fled on foot up N. Rampart toward Canal Street.

The victim was too traumatized (or inebriated, or whatever) at the time to give detectives descriptions of his assailants. They'll interview him again later.

• Tuesday (6.14.11) 11:40 p.m.: A white woman (no age given) was walking on Burgundy Street near St. Ann Street when a black guy grabbed her purse and knocked her to the ground. The robber and 2 other black thugs with him then fled on foot on St. Ann.

She described the robber as in his 20's, 6'1" tall, weighing 150 pounds.

• Sunday (6.12.11) 4:00 a.m.: A white guy (no age given) was walking on St. Louis Street just off Bourbon Street when 3 black chicks struck him and took his wallet before fleeing on foot.

Perhaps stunned in disbelief at the audacity of his attackers (or the late hour and abundance of alcohol), he was unable to give detectives a detailed description of the bodacious bandits. Detectives will interview him again later.

• Saturday (6.11.11) 2:00 a.m.: A white guy (no age given) walking on N. Rampart Street near Ursulines St. was tackled from behind by a black dude who stole his wallet from his back pocket before fleeing on N. Rampart toward Canal Street.

The victim could only describe the robber as dressed in all black clothing.

• Sunday (6.11.11) 12:25 a.m.: A white guy walking on Dauphine Street near St. Louis Street was assailed by a white punk who demanded his money and then struck him. The victim resisted and ran away. The would-be robber fled on foot on St. Louis toward N. Rampart Street.

He was described as 5'8" tall, with a thin build and short hair, wearing a black shirt and dark-colored jeans.

• Friday (6.10.11) 4:55 a.m.: A woman standing with her girlfriend at Chartres and Frenchmen streets in the Marigny Triangle had her purse snatched by 2 black hoodlums who then fled on foot up Decatur Street toward Esplanade Avenue.

One robber was described as in his 20's, 5'8" tall, with a medium build and shoulder-length braids, wearing a black T-shirt and dark-colored jeans; the other was 6' tall, with a slim build, wearing a black T-shirt and dark-colored jeans.

• Wednesday (6.8.11) 2:45 p.m.: A couple standing near Harrah's Casino on Canal Street was approached by a black guy who asked if they were lost and offered to show them the way to the ferry. As they neared the ferry terminal, the "guide" grabbed the victim's iPad--a big jump form iPhones--from his hand and fled on foot.

The robber was described as in his 20's, 5'8" to 5'10" tall, with a thin build and shoulder-length braids, wearing a white baseball cap, a long white T-shirt, and dark-colored jeans.

• Sunday (6.5.11) 4:30 a.m.: A 25-year-old white woman walking on Common Street near Carondelet Street had her purse snatched by a black boy who fled on foot.

She described him as 5'9" tall, weighing 170 pounds, with a medium build, wearing a white T-shirt and black shorts.

The common denominator in all these robberies--other than all the victims were white and most of the crooks were black--is that most happen in the wee hours of the morning, beginning just before midnight. And most were too close to that barrier of civility: N. Rampart Street.

It's almost amusing that Super Chief Ronal Serpas is going to spend $154,000 over the next 14 weeks sending a sergeant and 2 officers into each of the 8 police districts for "community policing" to educate citizens on how they can make their neighborhoods safer. Looking at the long list of robberies above, it seems it would be more effective to marshal his manpower to fortify the ramparts of the French Quarter.

And one by gun: Strangely enough, lately fewer robbers are relying on firepower to pull their heists.

There was one armed robbery Tuesday (6.14.11) when a black boy jumped out of a silver sedan on Chartres Street near St. Philip Street and, putting his hand in his pocket as if he had a gun, demanded a 28-year-old white guy give up his money. The victim ran and the would-be robber fled on foot on St. Philip toward the river.

The perp was described as 5'8" tall, skinny, wearing a baggy T-shirt and black shorts.

Captured on camera: Thanks in large part to video surveillance cameras inside of Walgreen's at Loyola and Tulane avenues, 8th District detectives were able to identify and arrest Leroy Perry, 51, for robbing the store on 5.8.11.

He was charged with simple robbery for grabbing money from the manager who was counting cash with an employee at the front register.

He is being held in OPP on $20,000 bond.

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Crimes last week in the 8th District
(Click on the crime map to enlarge it)

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As always, your comments and suggestions are welcome at NOcrimeline@gmail.com

Thom Kahler