New Orleans man barricades himself in house to resist eviction

A 59 year old man barricaded himself in his house today, lit it on fire, and fired gunshots from inside to fight against his eviction from his residence. Richard Scearce, 59, reached on his home phone, said, "I'm old, fat and crippled. I'm not going out on the streets to live. Let them come get me." A gunman who remains barricaded in an Uptown home after lighting it on fire and firing into the street told a Times-Picayune reporter Thursday at 2:20 p.m., "Today is as good as any day to die."

Richard Scearce, 59, reached on his home phone, said, "I'm old, fat and crippled. I'm not going out on the streets to live. Let them come get me."

The Times-Picayune has notified the New Orleans Police Department about the conversation.

Police say Scearce lit his apartment on fire just after noon when a deputy constable attempted to serve him with an eviction notice. He began firing into the street shortly after.

Craig Tolbert, Scearce's landlord, said the 59-year-old typically paid his rent. He didn't pay it this month, for whatever reason, and "knew it was coming," Tolbert said.

"He hadn't caused trouble," Tolbert added. "Evidently, he just snapped."

Scearce has listed his home address at 724 Upperline St. since October 2005, according to property records.

He told The Times-Picayune that he fired an AK-47 when firefighters arrived at his apartment and attempted to extinguish the blaze.

He said he heard police were having trouble contacting him on the television news.

"But you can contact me," he said laughing.

The landlord, Craig H. Tolbert, is also listed as the property owner of:
3615 ST CHARLES AV
4132 ST CHARLES AV
4217 ST CHARLES AV
5220 MAGAZINE ST
5304 MAGAZINE ST
5353 MAGAZINE ST
5357 MAGAZINE ST
6320 HURST ST
726 UPPERLINE ST
7923 GREEN ST
7929 GREEN ST
7930 CLAIBORNE AV S
8227 NELSON ST
BROADWAY ST
1309 MILAN ST
1407 NAPOLEON AV
1455 EXPOSITION BL
1801 ROBERT ST
1835 GEN PERSHING ST
1905 BORDEAUX ST
1922 BROADWAY ST
1932 BROADWAY ST
2025 MARENGO ST
2112 BROADWAY ST
2357 MAGAZINE ST
2400 MAGAZINE ST
3015 CARONDELET ST
3025 CARONDELET ST

Source:
http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2...tells.html

Anti-Eviction posters: