Louisiana man fights off carjackers with help of steaming POT OF GUMBO in stunning video
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA: Stunning video footage has emerged of a man fighting off a carjacker using a pot of gumbo he was dropping off at a neighbor's on Christmas Day.
The victim, who hasn't been identified, was reportedly delivering the present to a neighbor on December 25 in the Uptown area of New Orleans when the attempted carjacking took place. The man reportedly left his red SUV running while he was dropping off the present and told a local outlet that he expected his delivery to take no more than 60 seconds. However, in the short window, a silver SUV is seen pulling up with two males inside. One of them comes out and gets into the driver's seat of the victim's red SUV.
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The video begins with the well-dressed civilian exiting his red SUV while the motor is still running. He reportedly walks up to his neighbor's house to deliver a pot of gumbo and a drink before a silver SUV pulls up at the scene. Two men are seen in the other car as one hops out and gets behind the wheel of the victim's SUV. The carjacker attempts to drive away but is spotted by the owner, who races across the sidewalk and jumps on the hood of his vehicle. The perp then tries to mow the victim down by hitting the gas, but the owner manages to protect himself before hurling the pot of gumbo at the car thief. He then climbs the hood and is seen wrestling the perp through the sunroof as the car begins moving. The victim reportedly grabs the suspect's jacket, prompting the latter to jump out of the vehicle and hop into the getaway before both assailants flee the scene.
According to WDSU News, the victim did not suffer any serious injuries and filed a police report online. "I was nearly run over twice and reacted on instinct to protect myself and my property. What would you do in this situation?" he told the news outlet, which did not identify him. "In hindsight, there were better decisions I could have made, but I am fed up with crime in our city. We expect our police and municipal leaders to do what is necessary to protect its citizens," the man added.
Former New Orleans Police Department commander and security expert Mike Cahn told WDSU that while the public may be frustrated with the crime in the city, there were several dangers of taking the law into one's own hands. "Your adrenaline is going, but you have to think again most of these people doing these carjackings are armed," he told the outlet in an interview. Cahn explained that in a situation like this one should "get as much info as you can and a good description of the perps and let them go." He added, "Again, it's property — it can be replaced. We have to get in the habit of when we get out of a vehicle, take the key with you."
It's worth noting that car theft has been an ongoing issue in the city of New Orleans. A total of 4,011 cars were stolen in the city in 2022 alone - an increase of over 35 percent from the previous year when 2960 cars were stolen, per the New Orleans City Council crime dashboard data, WDSU reported.