Coronavirus: Police use ‘Purge’ siren to signal curfew in Louisiana city

CROWLEY, La. — Police in a Louisiana city blared a siren signaling the start of curfew -- unknowing that it sounded similar to the alarm in the horror movie “The Purge.”

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Crowley police sounded the siren Friday night, prompting complaints from residents familiar with the horror franchise, KATC reported.

Chief Jimmy Broussard said he was not familiar with the movies. The department will no longer use any type of siren to note curfew hours, KATC reported.

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The siren sounded eerily similar to the alarm in the movie “The Purge,” where it signaled all crimes, including murder, were legal for a 12-hour period. The Acadia Parish sheriff distanced his department from the noise.

“Last night a ‘Purge Siren’ was utilized by the Crowley Police Department as part of their starting curfew,” K.P. Gibson said in a statement. “We have received numerous complaints with the belief that our agency was involved in this process. We were not involved in the use of the ’Purge Siren’ and will not utilize any type of siren for this purpose.”

There are more than 13,000 confirmed cases of the virus and 477 deaths in Louisiana, according to The New York Times.