I'm feeling kinda freaked out right now. Had a lot of trouble getting to work, the highway was blocked off near where I turn to come to my office, helicopters flying around, cars on the sides of the road everywhere, more cops than I've ever seen. So I follow this line of cars snaking through a neighborhood to try to get around it. As I'm in the line of maybe 50 cars I hear this loud bang, and look in my mirror and the lady behind me has been hit, and this started 4 cars back, so 4 cars involved in an accident, that ends *right* behind me. So I finally get my bearings and find the right streets to get to my office the back way and turn on the radio and TV, and find out what's going on.

There was a drug bust in St. John Parish - where Jen is living - late last night, and the guy shot and killed one of the policemen, and took off with a woman in the car with him, then apparently forced his way into a house in Kenner near Pam's neighborhood and stole a car, and was being chased and crashed it into a ditch on the highway near my office. The woman was apprehended, but the guy is loose out here. So there's a long stretch of highway closed, helicopters flying around, house to house search going on, and I am alone in my office, and quite frankly, scared to death.

Boss's daughter lives out here and she is staying inside, not taking her kids to where they need to be. If I see ANYone coming to the office door, I am going to push the panic code on the alarm system. I have every light in the office on, have checked both doors, actually have the back door barricaded with a ladder and equipment. LOL

This is creepy! If I had known about this, I would have stayed home.

By Janet on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 10:08 am:

Yikes! Stay put and stay alert! Keep us posted...

By Vicki on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 10:26 am:

Wow, be careful and update us!!

By Sandysmom on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 11:13 am:

OMGGGGGOSH!!! I would be scared too! (((hugs))) Be careful!!

By Karen~admin on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 11:22 am:

Well..........the good news is, they have him cornered in a house across the highway. The bad news is, he has taken an 81 y/o man hostage.

Around 1:00 this morning, the woman who was with him forced her way into a house in Kenner using the pretense of being robbed, tied up an 81 y/o woman, her daughter and a 12 y/o boy, stole their money and jewelry, and their car, and that's the car they crashed out here.

The policeman he killed was the Commander of the drug enforcement unit in St. John.

According to TV, all the residents on the street have been evacuated and they are negotiating with him trying to get him to release the 81 y/o man.

So, while I don't need to be afraid anymore, this is just sick.

By Wandilu on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 01:17 pm:

We should all take a moment and pray for this elderly man.How TERRIFIED he must be !!!! I"m glad you are safe.

By Colette on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 02:02 pm:

That's terrible. I hope they get him and kick the shite out of him and the woman he's with.

By Tripletmom on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 02:08 pm:

Ditto Colette-What a messed up world we live in.

By Karen~admin on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 04:34 pm:

The woman was arrested when they crashed the stolen car. Around mid day, he surrended himself and the 81 y/o hostage was released unharmed. I saw the footage of him after he surrendered on the news, and OMGosh, he was one scary looking dude!!!! I've met HeLL's Angels who didn't look that menacing! They now say he is from the Houston area, and that there are warrants out for him there, for what I don't know.

By Tonya on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 04:36 pm:

thank god he is caught and hopefully they never let him out again. that poor old man I hope he has no health issues and he can get past this.

By Andi on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 06:01 pm:

Scary...glad you are safe!

By Crystal915 on Friday, June 16, 2006 - 06:47 pm:

How scary!!!

By Bobbie~moderatr on Saturday, June 17, 2006 - 02:49 pm:

So glad everything is okay. And phew on the four car accident, sounds like a close call... Things like that are common down in Columbus. Glad they caught him, sorry for the family of the police officer but thankful no one else was killed...

Take care of yourself and have a good weekend.. Big hugs...