Louisiana police department apologizes for using The Purge siren to signal curfew

This is one Purge sequel that nobody wanted to see.

The city of Crowley, La., recently instituted a curfew to help curb the spread of COVID-19, prompting the city's police department to use a siren to signal the order going into effect at 9 p.m. But Crowley residents found the sound a little too reminiscent of the siren that marks the start of the annual night of crime in the horror film The Purge. Take a listen below (for comparison, you can hear the Purge Night siren in the original film's trailer).

Local news station KATC reported that a Crowley Police Department Facebook post, which has since been deleted, received over 500 comments asking why the siren was necessary. The Acadia Parish Sheriff's Department issued a statement noting they also received "numerous complaints" about the siren.

"Last night a 'Purge Siren' was utilized by the Crowley Police Department as part of their starting curfew," Acadia Parish Sheriff, K.P. Gibson said in the 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."

It seems the eerie sound was used inadvertently; Crowley Police Chief Jimmy Broussard told KATC he was not aware the siren was connected to the film, and that the department will not use any siren to signal the curfew going forward.

The Purge depicts an America in which all crime, including murder, is legal for one night every year. A fifth, and supposedly final, entry in the film series remains scheduled for release on July 10, but may well be postponed due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

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• How Katrina, Charlottesville, and Sean Spicer inspired The First Purge