2 Guardsmen Accused of Robbery in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS, Aug. 18 — Two of the 300 Louisiana National Guard members called in to combat a summer crime wave in the city have been arrested and charged with armed robbery, the authorities said Friday.

The two are accused of flagging down a car for a routine traffic stop in the Mid-City neighborhood on Aug. 12, asking for identification and then taking cash from the wallets of the car’s occupants. The guardsmen were armed, though they did not use their guns during the robbery, a Guard spokesman said; the armed robbery charge stems from the fact that they were carrying weapons.

After the two victims were handed back their wallets and saw that they had been emptied, they flagged down another National Guard vehicle, the authorities said.

The guardsmen arrested were Sgt. Caleb P. Wells of the 256th Military Intelligence Company and Specialist Junious R. Buchanan of the 205th Engineer Battalion.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/08/19/us/19orleans.html?ref=us

It was one of the first stores to get electricity back, so they had cold drinks. He was in line behind me, so I told the cashier to put his stuff on my tab. He wouldn't let me, flat out refused. I thanked him and shook his hand, he seemed to appreciate that more than the offer of money. Most I met were like that. Sad to see some of them tarnishing a fine reputation.

don't let a couple of bad apples spoil the whole bunch

http://www.nola.com/newslogs/tpupdates/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_tpupdates/archives/2006_08_18.html#173718

i posted it earlier today but for some reason it got locked, suspect they changed the headline on me so i had the wrong headline in the title

The guardsmen were armed, though they did not use their guns during the robbery, a Guard spokesman said.

Makes it sound like the guns were a non-issue, as if the motorist shouldn't be at all concerned that the robber had an M-16 slung over his shoulder, or a .45 in his holster...