Arkansas town imposes 'martial law' style lockdown

Arkansas town imposes 'martial law' style lockdown

rawstory.com

HELENA-WEST HELENA - A neighborhood here is on police lock down, all over a $6, or maybe $8, debt.

The feud started earlier this week, when a man recently released from jail refused to pay the money back to a neighbor, residents and authorities said.

A group of men jumped the ex-inmate and fired guns into the air and into homes, mostly after dark, residents and authorities said, prompting some people to sleep on the floors for fear of being struck by stray bullets. The man and his buddies retaliated - with guns, as well - turning the already high crime neighborhood into what residents said sounded for a few nights like a combat zone.

As a consequence, Mayor James Valley on Thursday called for a lockdown of the roughly 10-block neighborhood northwest of City Hall, in what was formerly West Helena.

No loitering. No walking the streets. "No hanging out."

On Thursday night, 18-20 police officers carrying M-16 rifles, shotguns and night-vision scopes saturated the "cur-1 few zone" for 5/2 hours, arresting about eight people and confiscating drugs and loaded weapons, police said.

"It's something akin to martial law in that particular area," Valley said. "It got to the point where somebody was going to get seriously hurt or killed if we didn't do something."

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Is it just me .. Or isn't this unconstitutional ?

First Amendment to the United States Constitution
specifically the right to assemble ?

en.wikipedia.org...



rawstory.com
(visit the link for the full news article)

well yes it is kind of going against the constitution. But gang violence can terrorise families, and not the over seas, see it on the news, and talk to the soldiers type of terror. It sucks when you know peoples children have fallen victim to gang violence, and even parents, anyone. I think it was the right choice for this particular niegborhood. It effects a lot of people in the "hood", so the sooner we stop the gangs (bloods,crips,etc..) the better.

I wonder just how many of our rights taken away it will take before the American people stand up and say enough is enough?

The first amendment isn't to be trifled with in any way.. That is what they are messing with by taking the actions they have.

When are people going to wake up? seriusly ?

I see no problem with increased police presence but why go to a extream like this when you should arrest those involved ?


I fear.... That when people finaly do wake up to what is going on it will be too late.