Crime experts in New Orleans are noticing a troubling trend. It centers around recent videos on social media showing large fights as several popular events were winding down.
In at least one instance, police said a man was reportedly stabbed and maced. WDSU reporter Shay O’Connor was live in New Orleans with witness accounts and the response from law enforcement.
“A lot of people keep complaining about it. If you are complaining.. Why not do something different? Why not be grown and talk things out instead of fighting,” said one woman who spoke exclusively with WDSU, Monday.
She said she was having a great time on Canal Street when a large fight broke out, prompting her to pull out her phone.
She said, “They start jumping a girl. It’s like five to six people on one girl.”
From there, she said things escalated.
“The girl in the green outfit pulls out a boxcutter and she starts stabbing another girl in her eye, face and arm.”
New Orleans police confirmed the brawl as a simple battery that injured a woman. They said she was hurt in the head and arms. She was reportedly taken to a hospital in the early hours of Sunday morning.
“Just on this corner alone, we saw a lot of aggressiveness,” said one tourist in town for the weekend.
Witnesses said a separate incident happened on Toulouse Street. Video from the area showed several men fighting while wearing red dresses.
NOPD does confirm a man was maced and stabbed in the 1000 block of Toulouse near Burgundy Street Saturday night during a fight. At this time, we do not know if the video WDSU obtained shows that incident in particular.
“We’ve been coming here for 10 years and have seen a lot of crazy stuff,” said a tourist who said she witnessed a fight near her hotel in Toulouse.
Rafael Goyeneche with the Metropolitan Crime Commission said, “The camera speaks for itself.”
Goyeneche said there have been instances where people have planned brawls in order to get likes and views across social media. On the other hand, these videos can help law enforcement solve crimes.
“Everybody has a camera and can film it. Many of those videos get posted online, and that’s evidence,” said Goyeneche.
NOPD said there were three arrests in relation to the big fight on Canal Street, including a juvenile. One person is still being sought.
Currently, no arrests have been made in connection with the brawl in Toulouse.
If you know anything that aids officials call Crime Stoppers at 504.822.1111.
READ MORE:Videos of several fights across Downtown NOLA hit social media; police confirm at least one stabbing
